What Happened To Marathon Bars Anyway?

Over the years, many classic treats have fallen by the wayside. While few are more missed than or these , those longing for the simple candies of the '70s pine for Marathon bars. The Marathon bar was a chocolate-covered caramel candy bar that was first introduced to the market by the Mars Candy Company in 1973.

The braided bar measured around 8 inches. Bright red packaging and ruler marks that showed the length of the sweet treat helped it stand out on store shelves. The name "Marathon" came from the fact that the bars took a long time to eat; an 8-inch bar of chocolate and caramel isn't something you can chew through in a few minutes.



In fact, the Mars Candy Company even marketed Marathon bars with the tagline: "The candy bar you can't eat quickly." While the name may imply a long, rewarding life, Marathon bars were only sold for about eight years with the Mars Candy Company discontinuing the bar in 1981. Apparently, a long candy bar that was difficult to eat was not what the American market wanted.

Although the discontinuation of the candy bar saddened many fans, some consolation could be found in the fact that, across the pond, a close cousin of the Marathon bar was (and is) performing well on the market. What is a Curly Wurly? Cadbury, one of the largest candy companies in the world, had actually released its own braided, chocolate-coated caramel bar three years before the Marathon bar was released. This bar is called the Curly Wurly, and, despite being almost identical to the Marathon bar, it has enjoyed great success; in the past, the Curly Wurly has even been named one of Britain's favorite chocolate bars.

Thanks to the similarities between the two candy bars, Americans who miss their beloved Marathon bar would do well to grab themselves a Curly Wurly. (They're not expensive; you can buy .) While it is usually , on this occasion the roles are reversed, and it'll probably stay this way.

After all, it doesn't look like "the candy bar you can't eat quickly" will be reintroduced to the United States anytime soon. Recommended.