The race among rivals for industry leadership is more likely to be a marathon rather than a sprint when

C. the market depends on the development of complementary products or services that are currently not available, buyers have high switching costs, and influential rivals are in position to derail the efforts of a first-mover

Explanation:

The phrase simply tries to make clear that the market requires brands which offers good and quality product which hives the consumers more satisfaction compared to the current market offer. The market requirement here is more about a quality product which may prove difficult to beat or replace, the fact that a particular company makes the move first isn't the thing here, but an overall product with quality such that consumers find it difficult to leave or switch due to the switching cost that may involve the inability to get a substitute that matches its Value. Hence, in this case industry leadership is described as a marathon (steady, long development process) rather than a sprint (quick, short run).