Marathon lies on the east coast of Attica, in an area in which a whole series of resorts have developed in recent years, extending from Schinias by way of Marathon Beach and Nea Makri to Agios Andreas and Mati. The extensive beaches south of Marathon offer excellent bathing and recreational facilities.

Apart from the present-day village, the name of Marathon is associated with two ancient sites, the Soros (burial mound) of the Athenians and the Soros of the Plataeans at Vranas, as well as the modern reservoir (Lake Marathon).