One of 26, approximately, in a marathon

MILE

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue:\n\n**\"Unit often used to measure a race's length.\"**\n\nThis hint guides the solver toward thinking about units of distance commonly associated with races (like marathons) without directly stating the answer or repeating the original clue. It’s easier than the original but still requires some deduction."]

The clue "One of 26, approximately, in a marathon" leads to the answer "MILE" through the following logic: 1. **Marathon Distance**: A marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 26 miles and 385 yards. 2. **Approximation**: The clue uses the word "approximately" to hint at the distance, suggesting that we are looking for a unit of measurement that makes up a significant portion of the marathon. 3. **Unit of Distance**: The phrase "one of 26" implies that the answer is a unit of distance that, when repeated 26 times, roughly equals the length of a marathon. 4. **Conclusion**: Since a marathon is approximately 26 miles long, the answer to the clue is "MILE," which is a standard unit of distance in the measurement of a marathon. Thus, "MILE" fits the clue as it is one of the 26 units that make up the approximate distance of a marathon.