Marathon

The Marathon pinball machine, designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker, was manufactured by Gottlieb in October 1955. It holds a specific claim to fame: it was the first Gottlieb game to carry the company's famous backglass phrase, "Amusement Pinballs, as American as Baseball and Hot Dogs!" — a slogan that continued to appear on Gottlieb machines until the woodrail version of 1960's 'Flipper.'

Gameplay on the Marathon features two flippers, five pop bumpers, two passive bumpers, two slingshots, and two gobble holes, with 3- or 5-ball play available. If both players end the game with the same lit number, they earn an adjustable award of 2 or 10 replays, a competitive twist fitting the running/exercise theme.

With only 750 units confirmed produced, Marathon is a relatively scarce two-player Gottlieb title from the mid-1950s, reflecting the company's continued refinement of flipper-based gameplay several years after flippers became standard across the industry.