Going the Distance

• 1). Understand the difference between miles and kilometers. A mile is a unit of distance measurement in the customary system. The customary system also includes inches, feet and yards. One mile is equivalent to 5,280 feet. Kilometers are units of measurement in the metric system. The metric system is a system of units that are divisible by 10 and include centimeters and meters. A kilometer equals 1,000 meters.
  
  
• 2). Know how miles and kilometers compare with each other. Of the two units, a mile is longer than a kilometer. This means that units expressed in miles will appear much shorter than if they were expressed in kilometers. For example, if you were to run in 10k race, you would run 6.2 miles.
  
  
• 3). Know the conversion rate between miles and kilometers. A kilometer is roughly 0.609, or 6/10 of a mile. To get a rough estimate of distance conversion, you can estimate that the distance expressed in kilometers will be just over half the number if expressed in miles.
  
  
• 4). To convert miles to kilometers, determine the distance you want to convert and simply multiply the number by 1.609. For example, to find how many kilometers are equivalent to 100 miles, the equation should be: 100 x 1.609 = 160.9. So 100 miles is equal to 160.9 kilometers.
  
  
• 5). To convert kilometers to miles, then, simply work in reverse. Take the distance in kilometers and divide by 1.609. If you want find how many miles are equivalent to 1000 kilometers, the equation converting kilometers to miles should be 1000/1.609 = 621.5. One thousand kilometers, then, equals 621.5 miles.