What Happened to Marathon (U.S. braided caramel bar)?

1973–1981 Food/CPG • United States

ℹ️ Fate: Discontinued in the U.S. by the early 1980s; no ongoing national production.

8-inch braided caramel bar with a ruler on the wrapper—“lasts a good long time.”

The U.S. Marathon bar was Mars’s extra-long, braided caramel candy bar coated in milk chocolate, launched in 1973. Its signature gimmick was the 8-inch ruler printed on the wrapper to emphasize length and chew time, supported by the tagline “lasts a good long time.” Despite memorable marketing and a small cult following, the product was discontinued by 1981 as Mars trimmed slower sellers.

A common point of confusion: in the U.K., the name Marathon referred to what Americans know as Snickers until 1990. That U.K. naming was temporarily revived for nostalgia promotions in 2019–2020—but that has nothing to do with the U.S. braided caramel Marathon bar, which remains discontinued.

Timeline

  • 1973

    Marathon bar launches in the U.S.: braided caramel in chocolate, 8-inch wrapper ruler.

  • 1970

    TV spots and print ads push the “lasts a good long time” positioning.

  • 1981

    Product discontinued in the U.S. as Mars rationalizes its portfolio.

  • 1990

    U.K. ‘Marathon’ brand name officially changes to Snickers (context note).

  • 2019

    U.K. briefly revives ‘Marathon’ branding for Snickers as a nostalgia promo (context note).

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