Miles or kilometres? How do you track your speed?

nam14uk

So this may be a bit random but here goes...

Us Brits are somewhat strange. We track our speed in cars in miles per hour yet with most other things it's by kilometres. For example we run 5k and 10k races and on treadmills the readings are in kph. During races we have kilometre markers. Most people here would be able to tell you their kilometre splits. Without working it out I wouldn't be able to tell you my fastest mile time. 

Despite all of this we still think of half marathons as 13.1 miles and a full marathon as 26.2 miles. In fact without looking it up or working it out I don't even how many kilometres they work out as. 

I know a 5k is the same as running 3.1 miles and 10k is the same as running 6.2 miles but I wonder how my friends over the pond run their races. Do you have mile markers instead of kilometres? And even though you call it a 5k or 10k race do you think of that as just what it's called and work out your pacing and times in miles? 

Anyone able to shed some light?! 

melizerd

We're even weirder then in the US.

Our races are in Kilometers not miles (5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon) but we still tell you our MILE time. Which really makes no sense if you think about it, LOL. So I'll tell you that I run a 12:30 min/mile even in a 5K race and tell you the total time it took me to run it but in most of our heads we're still thinking 3.1 miles.

So when I train I set my distance as 3.1 miles for my goal or 2.5 miles etc and just work it into what I need to for a 5K, or a 10K some day.

datguy2011

In Canada... its all KM.....

epj78

I think in how minutes for a mile. Even with 5k or 10ks - I round to 3 and 6 miles. Never really though why - it would make sense to think of it in minutes per kilometer instead.......

pnieuw

In Canada... its all KM.....

Yes, but I'm old enough to remember before we switched to metric, so I treadmill in MPH and convert L/100km in my car to miles/gallon.

All measurement is in KM's, though, I agree....

moushtie

For anyone trying to work it out : 5 miles = 8 km

26.2 mile marathon = just under 42 km ( by my calculation)

Oh, and just to answer the original post. My treadmill works in kph, and I while away the time spent on it translating my current speed into mph. I also translate the distance I've done from km to miles and back again.

PS: I used to be a math teacher.. being weird comes with the territory.

TorridCutie

For anyone trying to work it out : 5 miles = 8 km

26.2 mile marathon = just under 42 km ( by my calculation)

Oh, and just to answer the original post. My treadmill works in kph, and I while away the time spent on it translating my current speed into mph. I also translate the distance I've done from km to miles and back again.

PS: I used to be a math teacher.. being weird comes with the territory.

1 mile is APPROXIMATELY 1.6 kilometers. A marathon is 42.2 kms.

grassette

Canada is officially metric, but since most of our imports are from the USA, we still find the old measurements in use, especially in construction. The 2 x4 is still a 2 x4. However all of our sports equipment is obligatorily metric. Pounds are listed in grocery store flyers because the older generation has never learned to think metric while the younger knows nothing else.

I myself have gone through 4 metric conversions in my life: youth in English measurements; metric in Mexico for 2 years; back to English when I returned to Canada; going through metric conversion in Canada in the early 80ies; American measurements for 5 years when living in the USA; and back to metric upon return to Canada. Result: permanent confusion. I still can't understand centigrade measurements when it comes to the weather. How DO you say: "windchill factor of minus 160" in metric and still keep your bragging rights?

tigerbluefly

In Canada it's all km's, but my treadmill is miles since it was made in the US. Almost all of our races are km's, but you will find the odd 10 mile one. I ran one actually, just a couple weeks ago.

Half Marathon is 13.1 miles or 21.1 km's
Full Marathon is 26.2 miles or 42.2 km's

I like the tshirts that say "Canadians do it metric - 42.2" I want one when I'm done my full marathon this October. )

dmpizza

We would be all metric in the US, but 35 years ago some idiot judge decided people sayng that they thought they were supposed to be going 88miles per hour instead of 88kilometers per hour(55MPH), was a valid argument so they changed all the signs back..

tigerbluefly

For anyone trying to work it out : 5 miles = 8 km

26.2 mile marathon = just under 42 km ( by my calculation)

Oh, and just to answer the original post. My treadmill works in kph, and I while away the time spent on it translating my current speed into mph. I also translate the distance I've done from km to miles and back again.

PS: I used to be a math teacher.. being weird comes with the territory.

1 mile is APPROXIMATELY 1.6 kilometers. A marathon is 42.2 kms.

Yes, you're right, times by 1.6 to get the estimate conversion. Thanks Torrid!!

nam14uk

Glad it's not just me that has the confusion!

Do you have mile markers in your 5k and 10k races or kilometre markers?

tigerbluefly

Glad it's not just me that has the confusion!

Do you have mile markers in your 5k and 10k races or kilometre markers?

No we have km markers in our races only.

nam14uk

How interesting if not a bit quirky!