How many laps is a mile in a pool

In short, you divide one mile by the length of your pool. But, as usual, the devil is in the details. Let’s look at our equation: one mile/pool length = # of laps in a mile.

Define a "Mile”

What is a mile anyway? Ask a simple question, get a complicated answer. The definition of a mile will vary depending on who you ask. Here’s what various people will tell you.

• Ask a scientist: Technically, a mile equals 1760 yards and 1609.3 meters.
• Ask an open water swimmer: In open water, a mile is a mile. If your aim is to swim a mathematically-accurate mile and your pool is measured in yards, divide 1760 by the number of yards in your pool. If your pool is measured in meters, divide 1609.3 by the length. 
• Ask a pool-swimmer about training: For training purposes, most competitive swimmers and their coaches think of a mile as 1650 meters (remember, a mile is technically 1609.3 meters). But here’s where it gets admittedly weird: competitive swimmers also tend to call 1650 yards a mile, as well. Yes, technically this is 90 yards short of a mile. 
• Ask a pool-swimmer about a meet: In competitive swimming the “mile” event in a meet is either 1500 meters or 1650 yards, depending on whether the pool is measured in meters or yards.

If, like many people, you are swimming a mile in preparation for swimming the “mile” event in a meet, use 1650 as your mile-marker, regardless of whether your training pool is yards or meters, and you will have plenty of endurance to last until the last lap of your race. 

Pool Length

Once you have defined what you mean by “a mile” (probably 1650 meters or yards), you need to determine how long your pool is. This is about as simple as it sounds.

Most lap pools are 25 yards, 25 meters or 50 meters. Less common are 50-yard pools.

Even less common but still around are some mathematically difficult lengths: 33.3 meters, for example. Just ask an employee at your local pool what the length is or look it up in our pool locator if you are not sure.

Not sure how long your backyard pool is? Here’s an easy, not-so-technical way to measure your pool. Get a friend and a long, water-friendly tape measure. Jump in the water and put the 0-inches end of the tape against the wall at one end. Hold it there while your friend pulls the tape to the opposite end of the pool and reads what it says against the far wall.

Once you have determined how you want to measure a mile and how long your pool is you are ready to do some simple math.

Amazingly True Story

A 50-meter pool built before the invention of touch-pads is no longer 50-meters long when the touch-pads are IN the pool. Records set in so-called “short” pools cannot count as records.

Before a major international competition, meet organizers discovered this very problem. With touch-pads in the water, the pool was 1 cm short of 50 meters. With hundreds of swimmers set to arrive in a matter of days, the facility drained the pool, shaved 1cm off the wall, re-plastered the shaved surface, and re-filled the pool, with only hours to spare. The benefit of such frenzied, last-minute construction: over 100 new world records were set that week.

Do Some Math

Now that you have your definition of a mile and the length of your pool, plug your numbers into the formula below. Just make sure the units you are using are consistent. For example, if your pool is measured in yards, use a number of yards as your definition of a mile (1760 or 1650, most likely).

(Your definition of a mile) / (the length of your pool) = (# of laps you need to swim to swim a mile)

Define a "Lap”

The old-school, technically-probably-correct definition of a “lap” is two lengths of the pool: down and back. Linguistically this makes sense: when you “lap someone” you have swum two lengths of the pool to catch up to them. However, in practice, it is far more common for people to say “laps,” and mean “lengths.” In the chart, we have used the “one lap means once across the pool” definition.

Take the Easy Way Out

If you have a training watch designed for swimming you can pair it with the swim.com app to track how many laps you are swimming and in turn how far you swam.

Swimming is a great way to stay in shape and can be done year-round in most climates. For those swimmers who are looking to challenge themselves, swimming laps can be a great way to push themselves to swim faster and farther. But how many laps in a pool is a mile?

A standard lap in a pool is 25 meters, or about 82 feet. There are approximately 1609 meters in a mile, so there are approximately 64 laps in a mile. But this number can vary depending on the size of the pool. For instance, if a pool is only 20 meters long, then it would take 80 laps to swim a mile.

The best way to figure out how many laps you need to swim for a mile is to check the signage at your local pool. They will typically have the pool length posted so you can calculate how many laps you need to swim for a mile. So grab your bathing suit and head to the pool for a good workout!

How many laps in a 25-meter pool is a mile?

If you’re swimming laps in a 25-meter pool, it will take you 80 laps to cover a mile. This is because there are 1609 meters in a mile, and hence, each lap covers 1609/80 = 20.1 meters.

While this number may seem daunting at first, remember that you can always break it down into smaller chunks. For instance, if you swim two laps per minute, it will only take you 40 minutes to swim a mile. And if you can swim even faster than that, the time Investment required gets even smaller.

So whether you’re looking to add some variety to your workout routine or simply want to know how far you’ve swam, remember that it takes 80 laps in a 25-meter pool to equal one mile.

How many laps in a 25-yard pool is a mile?

A little over 63 laps in a 25-yard pool is a mile. This is because a mile is actually 1,609.34 meters, and there are 40.39 meters in a 100-yard pool. Therefore, 1/100th of a mile is 40.39/100 = 0.4039 meters, or about 16 yards. A 25-meter pool has 24.4 more meters than 16 yards, so each lap is about 16.1 yards. Therefore, it takes a little over 63 laps to swim a mile in a 25-meter pool.

Looking for pool cleaning? Click Here

Looking for pool builders? Click Here

Get a FREE quote

"*" indicates required fields

Name*

First Last

Email*

Phone*

City*

State*

Zip Code*

Comments

Residential Pool Service

Commercial Pool Service

Weekly Pool Service

Seasonal Pool Service

Pool Tile Cleaning

Hot Tub / Spa Service

Stone / Tile / Deck Sealing

Automatic Pool Cleaner

Chlorinator

Filter

Gas Heater

Handrails

Heat Pump Motors

Pool Pumps

Spa Blowers

Pool Automation

Looking to build a brand new swimming pool or add a spa or water feature to your existing pool?  Check out our fantastic pool designs at premierpoolsandspas.com.

How many laps in the pool is a good workout?

How many miles is 30 laps in a pool?

How many laps is 1 mile?

How long does it take to swim a mile in a pool?