Encoded Trivia #192

About This Answer

A furlong measures exactly 220 yards, an old English unit still used in horse racing. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the furlong derives from 'furrow long' - the distance oxen could plow without rest. The British Library documents how furlongs measured agricultural fields in medieval England. Horse racing tracks worldwide use furlongs for race distances. The 220-yard furlong represents a historical measurement linking agriculture to modern sports.