Course Measurement Procedures - Appendix E Metric-English Conversions

The Run Canada Committee
Road Race Course Measurement Procedures

APPENDIX E

Metric-English Conversions

It should be kept in mind that the metric system is the fundamental measurement system of the United States. Ever since 1893, all customary "English" units in the US have been defined in terms of metric units. The easiest such definition to remember is that of the inch:

one inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly*

*Throughout this appendix, all conversion values in boldface are exact.

From the above, one can derive the equivalents of other units of length, e.g.:

one foot	= 12 x 2.54 cm	= 30.48 cm	= 0.3048 meters
one yard	= 3 x 30.48 cm	= 91.44 cm	= 0.9144 meters
one mile	= 5280 x 0.3048 m	= 1609.344 m	= 1.609344 km

Doing Conversions in the Working Constant

If both mile and kilometer distances must be marked when laying out a race course, the conversion is most easily done in the working constant:

Determine the working constant in counts/km or counts/mile.
Multiply the constant in counts/km by 1.609344 to obtain the constant in counts/mile, or:
Divide the constant in counts/mile by 1.609344 to obtain the constant in counts/km.

Conversion Table for Standard Distances

The following table shows how kilometer and mile distances are related but is not intended for routine measuring. It is much easier to do the conversion once in your measuring constant, as described above, than to do repeated conversions for each split. The table does show, for example, that 10 km is not exactly 6.2 miles. Courses measured to exactly 6.2 miles will not be certified as 10 kilometers!

1 km =

0.62137119 miles

5 km =

3.1068560 miles

8 km =

4.9709695 miles

10 km =

6.2137119 miles

12 km =

7.4564543 miles

15 km =

9.3205679 miles

20 km =

12.427424 miles

25 km =

15.534280 miles

30 km =

18.641136 miles

50 km =

31.068560 miles

60 km =

37.282272 miles

100 km =

62.137119 miles

150 km =

93.205679 miles

200 km =

124.27424 miles

1 mile =

1.609344 km

5 miles =

8.04672 km

10 miles =

16.09344 km

20 miles =

32.18688 km

30 miles =

48.28032 km

40 miles =

64.37376 km

50 miles =

80.4672 km

100 miles =

160.9344 km

half marathon	= 21.0975 km	= 13.10938 miles
marathon**	= 42.195 km	= 26.21876 miles

**The marathon is defined as 42.195 km exactly.

Conversions for Steel Taping

1 foot	= 0.3048 meters
1 kilometer	= 3280.84 feet
degrees Celsius (°C)	= [degrees Fahrenheit (°F) - 32] ÷ 1.8
1 pound-force	= 4.448 newtons

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