Gambling terms, explained straight

Racing & Pari-Mutuel

Furlong to km

A furlong to km conversion turns a distance given in furlongs into the equivalent distance in kilometres. One furlong is exactly 201.168 metres, so 5 furlongs is 1.00584 km, or roughly 1 km.

1 furlong
201.168 m (660 ft, 220 yd, 1/8 mile)14
5 furlongs
1.00584 km (≈1 km)1
Conversion factor
Multiply furlongs by 0.201168 to get km13

Key points

  • Flat-race distances are traditionally given in furlongs and miles; converting to km helps metric readers compare races.25
  • Common conversions: 5 furlongs ≈ 1 km, 10 furlongs ≈ 2.01 km, 15 furlongs ≈ 3.02 km.1
  • The conversion uses the international yard definition of 0.9144 m, making 1 furlong = 201.168 m exactly.1

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Furlong — the underlying unit of distance, not its conversion into kilometres
Racing Furlong Defines the furlong as a unit of length used in horse racing. Racing Furlong horse racing Explains how furlongs are used to measure race distances on the track. Racing Final furlong meaning Describes the last furlong of a race and its tactical significance. Racing Trifecta A bet that picks the first three finishers in exact order. Racing Tote placepot A pool bet where you select a placed horse in each of six nominated races. Racing Horse racing betting Overview of common bet types and how odds work on British horse racing.

Sources

  1. Furlong en.wikipedia.org Defines the furlong and gives the exact conversion to metres and kilometres.
  2. Template talk:Convert/Archive June 2011 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Confirms that race distances are commonly quoted in furlongs and miles.
  3. Imperial units en.wikipedia.org Provides the conversion factor from furlongs to kilometres.
  4. List of conversion factors - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Lists the furlong in feet, yards and chains.
  5. Horse racing - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org States that horse racing uses furlongs for distance notation.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.