Racing terms
Furlong
A furlong is an eighth of a mile, roughly 201 metres. Australia converted to metric race distances in 1972, but the term survives in commentary and in sectional analysis, where 'the last three furlongs' remains a common way of describing the final 600m. Older form lines and international race records still carry furlong distances, so the conversion is worth knowing.
In use
The final three furlongs is the last 600m, the standard closing sectional.
