Sep 16, 2021 3 min read

How Many Laps Around a Soccer Field is a Mile

How Many Laps Around a Soccer Field is a Mile

Many runners use soccer fields for their daily training. This often makes runners wonder: how many laps around a soccer field is a mile?

Not every soccer field is exactly the same dimension so the answer l depend on the size of the soccer field.

A soccer field measures approximately 360 feet in length and 200 feet in width. That means 4.7 laps around a soccer field is equal to 1 mile. Another way of thinking about this is that running 5 laps around a soccer field is equal to 1 mile.

That is the quick answer. Let me explain the details involved to help you determine how many laps around a football field is a mile.

Here is a table to show you quick approximations of distances in miles and kilometers for different laps.

LapsMilesKm (Kilometers)
5 laps1 mile1.6 km
10 laps2 miles3.2 km
15 laps3 miles4.8 km
20 laps4 miles6.4 km
25 laps5 miles8 km
30 laps6 miles9.6 km
35 laps7 miles11.2 km
45 laps9 miles14.4 km
50 laps10 miles16 km

Soccer Field Measurements

To understand the dimensions of a football field, you need to know the standards set by the International Football Association Board. The international football association board (IFAB) recommends that a standard football field must be rectangle in shape.

Soccer Field
Soccer Field

IFAB further recommends the following measurements to attain a rectangular shape for a field of a soccer game.

The Length

The length should not be more than 120 meters long (136yards) and not less than 115 meters (100 yards). That means it should not be more than 350 feet.

The Width

Similarly, the width must not exceed a distance of 80 meters (75 yards) and not less than 64 meters (70 yards). The width of a field for a soccer game must not exceed 150 feet.

Therefore the standard size of a high school soccer field is 125m x 85m (136 x 93 yards), or a minimum of 120m x 80m (131 x 87 yards)

Track Measurement

Besides the soccer field, there is an area that other activities such as athletics take place, known as the track area. To keep fit, one has to make revolutions around the soccer field on the track area that surrounds the play area. A revolution along the tracks and around the field is known as a lap.

Usually, most high school tracks comprise two straight ends that join with semicircle bends at the corners of a soccer field. The semicircles have same radius points that connect with the two straight parallels.

Therefore, for a soccer player to make one revolution around the soccer field without cutting corners, they have to race a distance of 400 meters (one lap), which is the total distance of a track. It is almost the same as 440 yards.

So, how do we determine the number of laps around a soccer field to cover 1 mile?

Understanding the Mathematics Involved

To determine how many laps make 1 mile, let us look at how you can calculate the soccer field dimensions.

First, understand that 1 mile is equal to 1600 meters. (1.6 km), and, a regular soccer field recommended by the International Football Association Board is 136 yards by 93 yards. That is to say, the total size of a soccer field is 320 yards.

Note this, 3 feet make one yard.

Therefore;

  • If 3 feet make 1 yard, 320 yards is equal to 960 feet (360 yards by 3 feet)
  • A track equals 400 meters (440yards). One lap around the football field is equal to ¼ a mile)
  • To run a mile equals running 1600 meters (4.5 times) or 2000 meters (5.5 laps), depending on the size of the soccer field.

To sum it up, the answer to how many laps around a soccer field you need to cover a mile is straightforward. A standard soccer field recommended by IFAB is 360 feet (136 yards) in length and 150 feet (100 yards) in width.

Therefore, take the measurements of both sides of the field and multiply by 2. Once you get the totals, divide with the number of yards that make a mile (1760 yards). So, for a standard soccer field, you need to run 4.5 laps or approximately 5.5 laps.

Conclusion

The simple answer to the question of how many laps around a soccer field is a mile is approximately 5 laps. Significantly, if you run many miles at ago, it will even be more beneficial to your body.

Remember, running many laps on a soccer field at ago will only make you stronger and fit.

However, the above mathematics is sure to answer the question on know how many laps to run so as to cover the miles you want.

Nicholas
Nicholas
I am a middle-aged runner with aspirations of qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2022.

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