Laps to Distance Calculator
Convert swimming pool lengths or running track laps to metres, kilometres and miles — or find how many laps make a distance — for 25 m, 50 m and 25-yard pools and 400 m tracks by lane.
How it works
distance = laps × lap length · laps = distance ÷ lap length · 25 yd = 22.86 m · 400 m track, lane n: lap = 400 + 2π × (1.22 × (n − 1) − 0.10) m
Swimmers usually count lengths of the pool, but some count a “lap” as there and back, so choose the definition you use. A short-course pool is 25 m, an Olympic long-course pool 50 m and many US pools 25 yards (22.86 m). On a standard 400 m track the distance is measured 30 cm from the inner kerb in lane 1 and 20 cm from the line in other lanes, each 1.22 m wide, so a lap in lane 2 is about 407 m and in lane 8 about 453 m — the reason races start on a stagger. A mile is 1,609.344 m: 64.4 lengths of a 25 m pool or just over 4 laps of a track.
Worked example
40 lengths of a 25 m pool = 40 × 25 = 1,000 m = 1.000 km, 0.621 miles or 1,094 yards. In that pool 1 km takes 40 lengths and a mile 64.37 lengths; the 1,500 m freestyle distance is 60 lengths.
Sources: World Aquatics — Facilities rules (pool dimensions) · World Athletics — Track and Field Facilities Manual
Frequently asked questions
How many laps is a mile in a 25 m pool?
64.4 lengths (1,609 m ÷ 25 m). Swimmers often swim 64 or 66 lengths; the “swimmer’s mile” of 1,500 m is 60 lengths. In a 25-yard pool a mile is 70.4 lengths, in a 50 m pool 32.2.
How many laps of a track is a mile?
About 4.02 laps of a 400 m track in lane 1 (1,609 m ÷ 400 m). Four laps is 1,600 m, the “metric mile” race distance.
Is a lap one length or two in swimming?
It depends who you ask: competitive swimmers usually mean one length, many fitness swimmers mean there and back. Pick either in the calculator.
How much longer is lane 8 on a running track?
About 53 m per lap: a lap in lane 8 is roughly 453 m because each lane adds 2π × 1.22 m ≈ 7.67 m (lane 2 adds 7.04 m because of the measurement offset).
How many lengths of a 50 m pool is 1 km?
20 lengths. In a 25 m pool it is 40 lengths, in a 25-yard pool 43.7.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.