How far is a quarter mile on a track

Quarter-mile or 14 mile may refer to:

  • A dragstrip competition or vehicle test in motorsport, where cars or motorcycles compete for the shortest time from a standing start to the end of a straight 14 mile (0.40 km) track
  • The 440-yard dash, a sprint footrace in track and field competition on a 440 yards (1,320 ft; 400 m; 0.25 mi) oval
  • The 400 metres, a sprint on a 437.445319 Yards oval
  • Quarter Mile Bridge, the local name for the Maribyrnong River Viaduct in Australia
  • Quarter Mile Walkway, a .41 mile long pedestrian walkway through Rochester Institute of Technology's main campus
  • Quarter mile horse races on open roads in the US Colonial Era which gave the American Quarter Horse its name

You don’t have to be “fast” to hit the track. In fact, it’s the perfect place for new runners to feel out their training paces in a controlled environment. It’s flat and traffic-free—and the distance is measured for you.

You just have to learn the basics—like how many laps is a mile—and the etiquette that allows everyone to use a track properly. Here’s what you need to know the first time you hit the oval.

Follow the rules

Many colleges and high schools open their tracks to the public during times when school isn’t in session. Always look for rules before going onto a public track—they might instruct you to run a certain direction on specific days of the week or keep you out of specific lanes, for example. Always plan your workout around open hours, and make sure you don’t interfere with special events. You don’t want to be on a track when the field hockey team is practicing!

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Go counterclockwise

Most runners travel counterclockwise on the track. To avoid collisions, you should, too. Again, you may want to check to see if the track has specific rules about what directions you should run on specific days. But keep this track idiom in your back pocket in case you forget the standard direction: “Run fast, turn left.”

Leave the headphones at home

Solo track workouts are one of running’s great joys. You have a completely flat and soft running surface all to yourself. But oftentimes, others will be on the track with you.

If you are by yourself, feel feel to get into the zone with your running headphones and favorite playlist to hopefully achieve a runner’s high. But take the headphones out if others are also on the track. When multiple runners are hitting different paces in the same space, you need to tune in to what’s going on around you. Listen for callouts such as “TRACK!”, “ON YOUR LEFT!”, OR “LANE 1!” as it’s an indication that you should clear the way. If you have headphones cranking, you’ll never hear somebody else coming.

Clear lane one

The innermost lane of the track is typically for the fastest runners. If you’re warming up, cooling down, or running slower, move to an outer lane. (Note: Also, schools sometimes bar the public from using multiple inside lanes—e.g. lanes 1 through 3—to preserve them for their athletes.)

How many laps is a mile?

The track is a great tool for fast running. You can sprint, run intervals, or perform tempo efforts. And the best part is, if you know how many laps are in a mile, breaking down each of these types of workouts becomes easier to understand.

Most outdoor tracks are 400 meters around, as measured in Lane 1; that’s slightly less than one-quarter of a mile. Here are some other measurements that are helpful to know:

  • 100 meters: the length of one straightaway
  • 800 meters: roughly ½ mile or 2 laps around the track
  • 1600 meters: roughly 1 mile or 4 laps around the track

    So if you use those numbers to calculate how many laps in a mile, you can calculate further distances: If you have a tempo workout that calls for two miles at half marathon pace, all you need to do is run eight laps around the track at that harder effort. (Of course, you would want to warm up beforehand.)

    If you have all lanes available to you, you should know the outside lane is 40 to 50 meters longer than the inside lane. If you have to stay out of the first four lanes for a specific reason, you would reach a mile earlier in your lap than you would in Lane 1.


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    How many laps is a quarter

    400 meters – roughly a quarter-mile, or one lap around a standard track. 600 meters – Half lap followed by one full lap. 800 meters – Roughly a half-mile or two laps around the track. 1200 meters – Roughly three-quarters of a mile or three laps around the track.

    Which lane on a track is 1/4 mile?

    Most running tracks are exactly the same size, thanks to their adherence to the IAAF Technical Specifications. That means that, as a general rule, you can assume that a trip around the track in Lane 1 is 400 meters, or about ¼ mile.

    How long is a quarter

    Although a quarter mile (1320 feet, 402 m) is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile (201 m) tracks, and the premiere classes will run 1,000 foot (304.8 m) races.

    How much is 1 mile in a track?

    800 meters: roughly ½ mile or 2 laps around the track. 1600 meters: roughly 1 mile or 4 laps around the track.