Ametric mile or an Olympic mile is a colloquial term used in some countries for the1500 meters, the premiermiddle distance running event in internationaltrack and field. The term 'metric mile' (0.93 statute miles) was applied to this distance because it approximates one statutemile (1609.344 m).[1] The term is most commonly used intrack running,speed skating andswimming.
In track running, the1500 m race became the standardmiddle distance race in Europe in the late 19th century,[2] and has been the standard distance in the Olympic Games since 1896.
Prior tometrication, many tracks in the United States and theCommonwealth of Nations were constructed to the specifications of one quarter of a mile, 440 yards (402.336 m). Thus when themile was run, the race was a four lap race. TheCommonwealth Games officially converted to metric in the mid-1960s. TheUnited States adopted metric rules in the mid to late 1970s, though some tracks are still constructed to be a quarter of a mile in length requiring calibrated painted lines to run metric races.
Even in countriessuch as the U.S, which do not embrace the metric system, most running tracks now have a lap distance of400 meters in the innermost lane. The final leg of adistance medley relay uses a four-lap 1600 m leg; The standard middle distance in manyUnited Stateshigh school competitions is 1600 m and this distance is sometimes referred to as a metric mile as well.
In swimming, the 1500 m (1640 yd) 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 that it is in open water instead of in a pool.