Mile run Mile run The mile run (1,760 yards or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance foot race. The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races. It survived track and field's switch to metric distances in the 1900s and retained its popularity, with the chase for the four-minute mile in the 1950s a high point for the race. In spite of the roughly equivalent 1500 metres race, the mile run is present in all fields of athletics and it remains the only imperial distance for which the IAAF records an
Metric mile leg of a distance medley relay uses a four lap 1600 m leg; The standard middle distance in many United States high school competitions is 1600 m and this distance is sometimes referred to as a metric mile as well. In swimming, the 1500 m (or 1650 yards) race is commonly referred to as "the swimmer's mile", and is often the longest distance swum by competitors in a pool. The standard distance triathlon also employs the swimmer's mile, except in open water instead of a pool. Metric mile A metric mile is a distance which approximates one statute mile (1609.344