Marathon in on Key Vaca and is around half way between Key Largo and Key West. It got its name supposedly from the railway workers that were working day and night to complete the railway and one of the workers said it was a "Marathon Task". It is situated just prior to the Seven Mile Bridge. Marathon is known for its sports fishing and several boats leave the marina every day.

Marathon is a good place to stay for a couple of nights as it's not too far to Key West from here and it’s a nice tranquil place. We stayed in the Banana Bay resort. The rooms were very nice and quite reasonable. There are many reefs on both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico sides of Marathon which makes it a great place for scuba, snorkelling and spear fishing.