I always say "5,000" when referring to a track race of 5,000 meters and "5K" when referring to anything the same distance off the track - XC, roads, trails, whatever.
It was suggested to me yesterday that my insistence on this terminology makes me a douche.
So what's the deal? Are 5,000 & 5K interchangeable or do they have specific meanings?
I think you need to think about something else.
For the 5k and 10k races I call track events by their distance in meters (5000m and 10000m) and road events by their distance in kilometers (5k and 10k).
I don't think this makes me, or you, or I a douche at all.
Most runners probably know what you mean when you say 5000m vs 5k.
Technically, road races are 5k and track races are 5000 meters. Track races are timed to the nearest hundreth of a second, whereas official road times are only kept to the second. I believe this is because even if a road distance is certified, small variations in the route a runner could take produces errors in distance on the order of tenths of a second.
But yeah, being so technical in casual conversation will come off as douchey.
Technically, road races are 5k and track races are 5000 meters. Track races are timed to the nearest hundreth of a second, whereas official road times are only kept to the second. I believe this is because even if a road distance is certified, small variations in the route a runner could take produces errors in distance that convert to tenths of a second.
But yeah, being so technical in casual conversation will come off as douchey.
I say 5000m for track races and 5K for Road, etc. I would just avoid correcting anyone else who doesn't use the "correct" vernacular. It really doesn't matter.
even the best tracks aren't accurate to the 100th of a second. thats a matter of about 5 centimeters over the course of, say, 10000 meters. no track is measured and built to within a few millimeters per lap. or even close.
significant figures FTL
that said, "five thousand meters" sounds way more legit
I call the track races 5,000 meters as well and road races 5k. But I never understood why until I read this thread. Now I know. And knowing is half the battle. Gi joe.
K means "1000". 5K means 5000. The two terms mean exactly, EXACTLY the same thing.
Anyone who actually insists that there is some distinction is the douche.
Unholy Cumulus wrote:
Technically, road races are 5k and track races are 5000 meters.
Technically, wrong.
Reality talking wrote:
K means \"1000\". 5K means 5000. The two terms mean exactly, EXACTLY the same thing.
Anyone who actually insists that there is some distinction is the douche.
hey dumbo! k stands for kilometer. Anyways, 5 kilometers=5000 meters, but as stated before they are used differently, though there is no real difference
Agree the argot of the T&F athlete and fan must be saved.
I limit myself to one 5K/5,000m and two full mile corrections per day.
Km stands for kilometer.
K stands for 1,000, as in I make 80K a year, or my car has 140k miles.
Meters refers to a track race; kilometers refers to a road race. This is not a matter of what "I" call it, but a matter of accepted convention by the arbiters of track and field records. If one looks at the list of world records in either Track & Field News or the IAAF, one will see the above distinction at work. So, 25,000 meters (or 25,000) refers to that distance run on a track; 25,000 kilometers (or 25k) refers to the same distance, but run on the road.http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/records/records.jsp?listId=1http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/records/inout=O/index.html
Reality talking wrote:
K means "1000". 5K means 5000. The two terms mean exactly, EXACTLY the same thing.
Anyone who actually insists that there is some distinction is the douche.
Porsche and Yugo are both cars so I guess there is no need to differentiate.
Reality talking wrote:
K means "1000". 5K means 5000. The two terms mean exactly, EXACTLY the same thing.
Anyone who actually insists that there is some distinction is the douche.
Are you also a fan of Thon and Mary?
More to the point, why don't we use a comma in 1500 or 3000 or 5000 when we're writing about those race distances, but we WOULD write that a guy got paid $5,000 for winning a 5000 ... if in fact he did get paid that much?
I probably shouldn't have said "more to the point, because ... what was the point, anyway?
Montesquieu wrote:
Meters refers to a track race; kilometers refers to a road race. This is not a matter of what "I" call it, but a matter of accepted convention by the arbiters of track and field records. If one looks at the list of world records in either Track & Field News or the IAAF, one will see the above distinction at work. So, 25,000 meters (or 25,000) refers to that distance run on a track; 25,000 kilometers (or 25k) refers to the same distance, but run on the road.
wouldn't 25,000 kilometers be like 15,000 miles?
long-ass race
Actually, both 5,000 and 5K are wrong. The only accepted term is the 50,000 decimeter run, although rojo read in a NCAA book that the rules actually say it is supposed to be called the 500,000 centimeter run.
dummy wrote:
hey dumbo! k stands for kilometer. Anyways, 5 kilometers=5000 meters, but as stated before they are used differently, though there is no real difference
How is that any different from what I just said?
They are "used differently" only by the people who wish to create some artificial difference between them where none exists.
5k = 5000 meters. A 5k can be run on the track or on the road.