The mile is a unit of distance that corresponds to 1,609.34 meters or 5,280 feet. It is commonly used in the United States and United Kingdom to measure long distances, such as road races and marathons. The origins of the mile date back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a unit of distance on the Appian Way. The mile’s precise length has varied throughout history and across different regions, but it has been standardized internationally as 1,609.34 meters since 1959. In modern times, the mile has been largely supplanted by the metric system, but it remains an important unit of measurement in many contexts.