sprint
Loading your saved state.
sprint
A short run at maximum speed, especially as an event in athletics/track and field (e.g., the 100-meter race).
Im Zielsprint konnte er seine Konkurrenten noch überholen.
In the final sprint, he was still able to overtake his competitors.
'Sprint' is a word borrowed directly from English. It keeps its original meaning of a short, fast run and is pronounced similarly.
Der Läufer ist für seinen starken Sprint bekannt.
The runner is known for his strong sprint.
The context makes the meaning clear: if it is about sports, running, or competition, the athletic event is meant. If it is about projects, software development, or teamwork, the project-management technical term is meant.
Im letzten Sprint vor dem Ziel hat er noch zwei Plätze gutgemacht.
In the final sprint before the finish, he made up two more places.
In a sports context, 'Sprint' is often used with certain verbs and prepositions. Typical phrases are 'einen Sprint hinlegen' (to put in a sprint), 'zum Sprint ansetzen' (to start sprinting), or 'im Sprint gewinnen' (to win in a sprint).
Auf den letzten Metern setzte der Radfahrer zum Zielsprint an.
In the last few meters, the cyclist started his final sprint.
In working life, especially in the IT industry, 'Sprint' is a fixed term from agile project management (e.g., Scrum). It refers to a fixed work phase, usually lasting one to four weeks.
Für den nächsten Sprint müssen wir die Prioritäten neu festlegen.
For the next sprint, we need to redefine the priorities.
marathon
'der Marathon' and 'der Sprint' stand in clear contrast to each other. In sports, a marathon is a very long race where endurance is important. A sprint is short and very fast. This difference remains the same in figurative use too: a marathon is a long, exhausting task, while a sprint is a short, intensive phase. So you choose 'Marathon' when something takes a long time, and 'Sprint' when something happens quickly and with a lot of energy.
Beim Sprint gab Tom auf den letzten Metern noch einmal alles.
In the sprint, Tom gave it everything he had over the last few meters.
Nach monatelangem Training läuft Lisa am Sonntag ihren ersten Marathon.
After months of training, Lisa is running her first marathon on Sunday.