How long is 4 furlongs

Furlong is a unique word with a fascinating story. A furlong is a unit of measure commonly used in horse racing, but where did the term originate, and how long is a furlong. I answer these are questions and more. And furlong had an interesting development. But what is interesting is that over 85 percent of Old English words are no longer in use.

Furh translates to furrow, which is a trench in a field made by a plow. Lang means long, so the combination translates to represent the length of a furrow or trench made with a plow. The length was formalized to equal 40 rods or feet. Romans used the word to refer to a stadium length and the Roman mile.

In the early s, England standardized the mile as eight furlongs, and a furlong was set at 40 rods. These standards established the length of a rod, yard, and foot as well. A rod was 5. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, formerly Burma uses furlongs to note distances on their highways signs; however, they are unique in this regard. And England continues to reference the length of their many canals by both miles and furlongs. Interesting facts:. You can see this in the breeding requirements, track names, and naming restrictions.

Furlongs were the unit of measurement initially used to set up racecourses in England back in the s when horse racing formalized. Horse races less than a mile are referred to by furlongs. Once a race exceeds a mile, it goes by fractions of a mile. For example, a three-quarter-mile race is listed as six furlongs, but a mile and a quarter race is called a mile and quarter, not a mile and four furlongs. Most horses begin their racing career competing in races less than a mile.

Races are timed at quarter poles 2 furlongs and are listed in the racing forms. These quarter pole times are how Thoroughbreds have a faster record at this distance. Quarterhorse records are based on their time coming out of the starting gate in a quarter-mile race, whereas Thoroughbreds are timed every yards. Having a running start gives them an advantage. A furlong is represented in the racing program with an f. You can view more details on each measurement unit: furlong or feet The SI base unit for length is the metre.

Note that rounding errors may occur, so always check the results. Use this page to learn how to convert between furlongs and feet. Type in your own numbers in the form to convert the units! You can do the reverse unit conversion from feet to furlong , or enter any two units below:. A furlong is a measure of distance within Imperial units and U. There are eight furlongs in a mile. Distances for thoroughbred horse races in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States are still given in miles and furlongs example , but the unit is otherwise no longer in common use.

It is heavily used within the rail industry especially maintenance and repair services in the UK, due to the legacy measurements and distance markers from when the tracks were first laid down.