Practiced on

Year round but especially during the Halloween Season 

Country of Origin 

United States - (Throughout the course of the 19070s and 1980s during the rise of the home video era.

Key Points / Halloween Connection

-  Practice of watching numerous horror themed movies in succession often with a group of friends either in person or online

Rink Fact: Some consider 26.2 hours to be the appropriate marathon length which is what an actual marathon is 26.2 miles

Brief Bio

The history of horror movie marathons isn't tied to a single event but evolved as a subculture practice of enthusiasts who, inspired by the genre's history, began organizing themed viewing sessions of horror films. This practice grew with the rise of home video, allowing fans to collect and screen films that might have been difficult to access. 

Themes range from a specific year or subgenre, like 80s horror, to a director's or actor's filmography. The term "marathon" likely emerged from the endurance required for extended viewing, and later took on a more literal meaning, with some enthusiasts equating a true marathon to watching a specific duration of films, such as 26.2 hours. 

Many modern horror movie marathons feature films that have become classics of the genre, such as Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Directors such as George Romero or Roger Corman and themes such as zombies or survial horror are popular topics as well.

The "true marathon" concept: While many enjoy themed viewing, some enthusiasts have defined a "true" marathon as watching 26.2 hours of movies, linking it to the distance of a literal marathon race.