Subject of a marathoner’s P.R. NYT Crossword Clue
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer to the New York Times Crossword clue “Subject of a marathoner’s P.R.” is “TIME”.
Explanation:
- Clue Breakdown:
- “Subject of a marathoner’s P.R.” refers to the concept of a personal record (P.R.) in the context of a marathon race.
- A P.R., in running terminology, stands for the personal best time a runner achieves in a race.
- The subject of this record is often a time — specifically, the time it took for the marathoner to finish the race.
- The phrase “Subject” in this clue directs us to the central aspect of the P.R., which is the time it took to achieve that record.
- Marathoner’s Perspective:
- For marathoners, the personal record (P.R.) is a crucial achievement. It marks their fastest completion time for the race.
- The focus of a marathoner’s P.R. is almost always on their time (e.g., “I ran my fastest marathon in 2 hours 30 minutes”). Hence, the time is the subject of the record.
- Wordplay and Cryptic Nature:
- Crosswords often play on multiple meanings of words or phrases. In this case, the clue is straightforward, but it’s asking for the object or the central concept that the marathoner would be concerned with regarding their performance. “TIME” is what they measure when they talk about their personal record.
- Context in Other Races:
- This same logic applies to other races or events. Whether it’s a sprint or a marathon, the subject of one’s record or achievement is typically the time it took to complete the event, as that quantifies the success.
Thus, the answer to this clue, reflecting the subject of a marathoner’s personal best, is TIME.