Over an extended period of time; considering the eventual or ultimate outcome rather than immediate results.
This phrase originated in horse racing in the 17th century, where 'the long run' referred to races over extended distances as opposed to shorter sprints. The metaphor evolved to describe any situation where patience and long-term thinking would yield different results than focusing on immediate outcomes.
Horse racing gave English many temporal metaphors because the sport perfectly illustrated how different strategies work over different time periods - a horse that leads early might not win the race. The phrase reminds us that immediate success or failure might not predict ultimate outcomes.
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