Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Exercise

Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

Running paces - Metric vs Imperial

24 replies

xsquared · 22/04/2022 21:39

Which do you use or prefer?

I use imperial as I rarely do just 5K or less. The first group run I did offered pace in minutes/mile so it's stuck with me since.

OP posts:
Onlythelaundryfairy · 22/04/2022 21:40

Same here

Redcrayons · 22/04/2022 21:45

miles for me.

I have friends who run in Kms and I’ve no idea how far they are going unless it’s 5k or 10k

FourEyesGood · 23/04/2022 09:56

I use kms on my running app (Adidas) and miles on my watch - just beside I like to be able to see both!

jeffersonsam · 25/04/2022 11:40

I always use Kms in my app, because it will makes to run more kms on next day. This will also use to manage my running hours and distances. Every day I start my running exercise at 6.00 a.m

emmathedilemma · 25/04/2022 12:05

always km for me. I have a "rough conversion" rate in my head for when people insist on talking in miles e.g. 5min/km is about an 8min/mile and 6min/km is a 10min/mile.

Shopgirl1 · 25/04/2022 22:38

Both are ok for me, although I have km set on my garmin.

MirandaWest · 25/04/2022 22:39

I do minutes per km.

Weirdlynormal · 25/04/2022 22:41

I converted about 4 years ago. Having run in min miles for 20 years, it’s taken some time, but now I ‘know’ the different pace.

WoodenClock · 25/04/2022 22:41

Miles. I'd say the vast majority of runners I know use miles, but I have noticed that people who only started in the last couple of years seem to be increasingly using km.

PurpleDaisies · 26/04/2022 10:34

I’m firmly team km, probably because I came to running via the couch to 5k app. I’d struggle to change now. Plus the scientist in me is pleased with the imperial unit!

Perfectlystill · 27/04/2022 21:43

Miles. I feel it superior to measuring in kms, I don't know why!

fellrunner85 · 28/04/2022 07:12

Miles. Km only make sense if you're running shorter distances IME (ie 5k or 10k) as most other race distances are in miles.

If you're running a half or full marathon you don't want to be looking at your pace and seeing what you need to make up/even out over 21 or 42kms. Easier to work in miles.

Also, as miles are the more traditional measurement, everyone knows what they equate to. We know Roger Bannister's 4 min mile is fast. But I have no idea what he ran in km..

Ifailed · 28/04/2022 07:27

It's furlongs per fortnight for me.

xsquared · 28/04/2022 15:48

😆@Ifailed

I agree @fellrunner85 . I very rarely do runs shorter than 45 minutes long if I am out on my own. I might start working on being faster with my 5K once I get my next race out of the way.

OP posts:
User3579 · 28/04/2022 15:50

Prefer km in general but for running pace it’s min/mile all the way. I can convert easy enough in my head but I “think” in min/mile

Bateleur · 28/04/2022 16:15

Only kms for me. I grew up with the metric system and do not understand imperial at all!

Also, as all races are in km distances - 5km, 10km, half marathon and marathon - it makes sense to me to train in kms to help prepare for race pace. And of course Strava is km which is nice when following friends around the world 🌎

fellrunner85 · 28/04/2022 16:57

Erm, Strava is in miles as well as km - you just pick on your settings. I've never seen Strava in miles.
Also, races above 10k are usually in miles - people describe a marathon as a 26.2, not a 42km.
10 mile and 20 mile races are very common, esp at club level.

Shopgirl1 · 28/04/2022 17:39

There are lots of races in miles also, I often run 10 mile races and also 5 miles.

When I train I use km now, but would also kind of think if I get to 16k say I better add a bit to make it 10 miles. For HM I know what time per km I want to do to make whatever time I am targeting.

In our club I would say it is split between km and miles, with people running many years using miles more as it’s what they are used to.

Iamanunsafebuilding · 28/04/2022 17:49

I do km but I've got good at knowing the distance equivalents and I can roughly do pace conversions as well!

Bateleur · 01/05/2022 08:34

Fellrunner I grew up in the Southern Hemisphere and have only ever heard marathons and half marathons spoken about in kilometers . And we have a huge culture of long distance running, especially ultra marathons.

So it must be cultural thing and just what I'm used to. I had never heard of races described in miles before I came to the UK, so I guess it is just what I am comfortable with and know.

rifling · 01/05/2022 08:39

Also, races above 10k are usually in miles - people describe a marathon as a 26.2, not a 42km.
Depends where you live! Where I am it's 42km. I grew up in the UK but never learnt Imperial and now live in the EU so I use km.

ThettaReddast · 02/05/2022 07:26

It depends what I’m training for at that point. I’m marathon training at the moment so Strava etc is set to miles. If I’m working towards a 10k though I’d switch it back.

PosiePerkinPootleFlump · 02/05/2022 07:33

Metric for me. Despite the fact that most of the races I do are longer distances and in miles... I just convert them to km

purplesequins · 02/05/2022 07:35

km here
went to school in forrin where only metric measurements were used. I find it difficult to convert km to miles or pounds/ounces/stones to kg.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread