What does “Marathon und kein Sprint” mean in German?

After all the math on how long it takes to save a million, the host sums it up: “Die 1000000 ist 'n Marathon und kein Sprint.” It is a marathon, not a sprint. He means saving that much is not a quick win — it is slow, steady work over many years. So his advice: start as early as you can and put away what you can comfortably afford, month after month.

Spoken line: “Die 1000000 ist 'n Marathon und kein Sprint.” → “The million is a marathon, not a sprint.” (“'n” is just spoken-German short for “ein”.) Germans use this exactly like English speakers: the thing in front of you takes patient, long effort, not one fast push. Examples: • “Eine Sprache lernen ist ein Marathon, kein Sprint.” — Learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint. • “Abnehmen ist ein Marathon und kein Sprint.” — Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. • “Denk dran: Das ist ein Marathon, kein Sprint.” — Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. Usage notes: You will hear it with or without “und” — “Marathon und kein Sprint” or “Marathon, kein Sprint” both work. It is friendly, slightly motivating, and fits saving, fitness, study, or any long project where people want fast results.