maranoia

English

Etymology

Blend of marathon +‎ paranoia.

Noun

maranoia (usually uncountable, plural maranoias)

1. (uncommon, colloquial) Anxiety, fear, or nervousness experienced by some individuals before or during a marathon.
   • 2020, Amy Lane, Edward Lane, I Can Run: An Empowering Guide to Running Well Far, Hodder & Stoughton, page 206:

     And if I’m not stewing over a less-than-perfect training cycle then I’m mentally counting down the hours until I need to get up and prepare because, of course, I didn’t sort out my raceday essentials until the very last minute. No matter how many times I sign up, the state of ‘maranoia’ I work myself into is real.

   • 2021, Vassos Alexander, How to Run a Marathon: The Go-to Guide for Anyone and Everyone, HarperCollins, page 7:

     The maranoia, on the other hand - that strange, hypochondriacal pre-race madness that affects marathon runners (and drives their friends and family potty) that’s largely gone, I’m pleased to say.

   • 2022, Sam Murphy, Run Your Best Marathon: Your trusted guide to training and racing better, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 200:

     It's very common to experience some strange symptoms during the marathon taper. So common, in tact, that the term ‘maranoia’ has been invented to describe it. Heavy legs, aches and pains, symptoms of illness, feelings of anxiety and an unusually high RPE on runs are all frequently reported.