10k or 6mi

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yc4king
yc4king Posts: 117 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So i'm in Canada, 5k and 10k always made sense.

Then I started seeing people on here saying things like "so i'm training for a 10k so I went out and mapped a 6mi loop"... :huh: I think you meant you are running a 10km race so you mapped out a 10km route :laugh:

It makes absolutely no difference, and i'm not making fun of anybody, but I do snicker every time I see it.

So in the US, why is it even called a 10k race instead of a 6mi race? Seems odd given the metric hate south of the border ;)
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    10k races are still 10k here. I'm guessing that the people you read about run the 6 miles plus a bit extra to get to 6.2 miles, which is 10k.

    And I've never met a metric hater.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    A marathon is measured in miles.

    </thread>
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    So i'm in Canada, 5k and 10k always made sense.

    Then I started seeing people on here saying things like "so i'm training for a 10k so I went out and mapped a 6mi loop"... :huh: I think you meant you are running a 10km race so you mapped out a 10km route :laugh:

    It makes absolutely no difference, and i'm not making fun of anybody, but I do snicker every time I see it.

    So in the US, why is it even called a 10k race instead of a 6mi race? Seems odd given the metric hate south of the border ;)

    International racing is based on km distances. Everyone knows that.

    Also, think about it. 10km is 6.2 miles, if you spend your entire life thinking in terms of miles, km has value on a theoretical level, but not on a practical level when thinking about a distance. You convert to the unit you are most familiar with. In your case, I mention I was driving 60mph, you'd be more comfortable with thinking of that as 100kph.

    It just proves that because Chewbacca is from Kashyykk, that you must acquit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    LOL...metric hate...yeah right...

    can I assume since you use metric you auto hate imperial? Or does metric just happen to be what you've grown up with and accustomed to?

    Races are generally designated 5K, 10K, etc...metric. But if someone just goes for a run and you ask them how far they went, most are going to respond with miles...because, I don't know...I've been using miles for 40 years.

    tumblr_mb9iwex5tJ1rf7qlco2_500.gif
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    A marathon is measured in miles.

    </thread>

    It's 42.2km.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I honestly never though to question why... Interesting topic!

    Like cwolfman, I usually hear people talk about their runs in miles but races are almost always in km - unless of course they're marathons or 1/2 marathons. (US)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    A marathon is measured in miles.

    </thread>

    42.2km worth of them...
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    Fantastic contribution, OP. Rocks my socks off.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    LOL...metric hate...yeah right...

    can I assume since you use metric you auto hate imperial? Or does metric just happen to be what you've grown up with and accustomed to?

    Races are generally designated 5K, 10K, etc...metric. But if someone just goes for a run and you ask them how far they went, most are going to respond with miles...because, I don't know...I've been using miles for 40 years.

    How long is 40 years in Canada? Is there another measurement for that? It's like 60 Moose Antler seasons or something.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    Options
    LOL...metric hate...yeah right...

    can I assume since you use metric you auto hate imperial? Or does metric just happen to be what you've grown up with and accustomed to?

    Races are generally designated 5K, 10K, etc...metric. But if someone just goes for a run and you ask them how far they went, most are going to respond with miles...because, I don't know...I've been using miles for 40 years.

    How long is 40 years in Canada? Is there another measurement for that? It's like 60 Moose Antler seasons or something.

    40 actually. Moose being a species of cervid/deer, grow and shed antlers on an annual basis.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,068 Member
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    LOL...metric hate...yeah right...

    can I assume since you use metric you auto hate imperial? Or does metric just happen to be what you've grown up with and accustomed to?

    Races are generally designated 5K, 10K, etc...metric. But if someone just goes for a run and you ask them how far they went, most are going to respond with miles...because, I don't know...I've been using miles for 40 years.
    people hate imperial because it uses arbitrary numbers from one measurement to the next, like a mile equaling 5280 feet.

    all you need to know for metric distances is the meter. the rest is based around this one central unit using prefixes (kilo=1000, deci=.1, centi-0.01, mili=0.001)

    and everyone around my area would use a km measurement, since we have no use for your silly miles in canada
  • ToughMudderAddict
    ToughMudderAddict Posts: 290 Member
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    LOL...metric hate...yeah right...

    can I assume since you use metric you auto hate imperial? Or does metric just happen to be what you've grown up with and accustomed to?

    Races are generally designated 5K, 10K, etc...metric. But if someone just goes for a run and you ask them how far they went, most are going to respond with miles...because, I don't know...I've been using miles for 40 years.

    How long is 40 years in Canada? Is there another measurement for that? It's like 60 Moose Antler seasons or something.

    40 actually. Moose being a species of cervid/deer, grow and shed antlers on an annual basis.

    Win.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    What is the Canadian unit of measurement for decades without a Cup champion?
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,068 Member
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    What is the Canadian unit of measurement for decades without a Cup champion?
    no such measurement is needed

    fyi 17 of 26 players on the la kings 2014 roster were canadian:smokin:
  • yc4king
    yc4king Posts: 117 Member
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    Hehe so many feathers puffed out from a simple humerous observation.

    Like i said, not making fun of anybody, but you must be able to see a bit of humour in it. If not, well, move along then, nothing to see here.
  • SonyaKou
    SonyaKou Posts: 33 Member
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    Ironic that Canadians have to play for a US based team to get a cup. Why? Cuz the good old boys believe if you hit hard enough (Leafs) and dive fast enough (Habs) that will surpass all stats. =P

    Now that my troll is over... Metrication... As most know, both US and Canada stem from the UK. The US fought for separation from the UK in 1776 and had long standing tensions until World War I. Americans continued to us the Imperial system.

    Canada was more or less handed their independence in 1867. They retained a good relationship with the Motherland and when the UK voted to change over from Imperial to Metric in 1965 (Yes, wasn't that long ago), five years later Canada followed suit. Yes, Canada was officially under the Imperial system until 1970. lol...

    So... really... Just blame Britain for all the confusion. = P

    Most races are measured in the metric system because that is what the rest of the world uses... France, Germany, etc... The powers that be decided to make it simple for the majority. As to the reason the Marathon is in Miles?

    The origin of the Marathon was Phillippides 25 mile run between Marathon and Athens during the Greco-Persian War. In 1896, they revived the Olympic games and one event was to undergo that run from Marathon to Athens (a distance of 24.85 miles or 40,000m). And 40,000 m was how it was measured in Paris in 1900 and St. Louis in 1904. In 1908 the Games were held in London, England. Well, the Royal family wanted the finish line to be right in front of their viewing box. The workers arranged this by extending the race to 26.2 miles (remember England was still using the Imperial system). For 16 years the Olympic committee argued back and forth, but at the 1924 Paris Olympics, they officially announced they would retain the 26.2 mile distance for the marathon.

    So... Once again... Just blame Britain for all the confusion. = P
  • headofphat
    headofphat Posts: 1,597 Member
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    I don't hate the metric system. It's my go-to system when measuring my *ahem* manhood. 177.8mm sounds fantastic.
  • Shtallionchick14
    Shtallionchick14 Posts: 61 Member
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    Ironic that Canadians have to play for a US based team to get a cup. Why? Cuz the good old boys believe if you hit hard enough (Leafs) and dive fast enough (Habs) that will surpass all stats. =P

    Now that my troll is over... Metrication... As most know, both US and Canada stem from the UK. The US fought for separation from the UK in 1776 and had long standing tensions until World War I. Americans continued to us the Imperial system.

    Canada was more or less handed their independence in 1867. They retained a good relationship with the Motherland and when the UK voted to change over from Imperial to Metric in 1965 (Yes, wasn't that long ago), five years later Canada followed suit. Yes, Canada was officially under the Imperial system until 1970. lol...

    So... really... Just blame Britain for all the confusion. = P

    Most races are measured in the metric system because that is what the rest of the world uses... France, Germany, etc... The powers that be decided to make it simple for the majority. As to the reason the Marathon is in Miles?

    The origin of the Marathon was Phillippides 25 mile run between Marathon and Athens during the Greco-Persian War. In 1896, they revived the Olympic games and one event was to undergo that run from Marathon to Athens (a distance of 24.85 miles or 40,000m). And 40,000 m was how it was measured in Paris in 1900 and St. Louis in 1904. In 1908 the Games were held in London, England. Well, the Royal family wanted the finish line to be right in front of their viewing box. The workers arranged this by extending the race to 26.2 miles (remember England was still using the Imperial system). For 16 years the Olympic committee argued back and forth, but at the 1924 Paris Olympics, they officially announced they would retain the 26.2 mile distance for the marathon.

    So... Once again... Just blame Britain for all the confusion. = P

    I like your knowledge. :)
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    Humor from the country that foisted Nickelback, Justin Bieber, and Ted Cruz on America... lol
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,952 Member
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    I'm thinking people are just rounding... not bothering to mention the 0.2 mile to make up the 10km length.

    Ah the debate of km or mi. I think miles has a lot of purpose in the country! Even in Canada, all the rural roads are spaced out 1 mile apart - so you don't need an app or a GPS to tell you how far you've gone. In the city - doesn't matter.

    As someone who frequently has to do calculations in both metric and imperial for my job - I prefer metric because I like working with decimals over fractions. The math tends to me more straight forward and less memory based.

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