stade

measurement

Also known as: furlong, stadial, stadium

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

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The term "stade" has two primary meanings. Historically, it refers to a unit of length used in ancient Greece and Rome, approximately 185 meters or 606.9 feet. This measurement was notably used in the ancient Olympic Games for a footrace of one length of the track, which also came to be called a stade. This ancient unit of length is the origin of the modern word "stadium".12

In contemporary usage, "stade" is an alternative spelling for "stadium," referring to a place where athletic contests or other events are held.3

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stadium
…Greek unit of measurement, the stade, the distance covered in the original Greek footraces (about 600 feet [180 metres]). The course for the footrace in the ancient Olympic Games at Olympia was exactly a stade in length, and the word for the unit of measurement became transferred first to the…
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…Greek unit of measurement, the stade, the distance covered in the original Greek footraces (about 600 feet [180 metres]). The course for the footrace in the ancient Olympic Games at Olympia was exactly a stade in length, and the word for the unit of measurement became transferred first to the…
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Olympic Games
Competition and status
The race, known as the stade, was about 192 meters (210 yards) long. The word stade also came to refer to the track on which the race was held and is the origin of the modern English word stadium. In 724 bce a two-length race, the diaulos, roughly similar to…
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The race, known as the stade, was about 192 meters (210 yards) long. The word stade also came to refer to the track on which the race was held and is the origin of the modern English word stadium. In 724 bce a two-length race, the diaulos, roughly similar to…
Read More

measurement system
Greeks and Romans
…measures were the furlong or stade (stadium), the mile (mille passus), and the league (leuga). The stade consisted of 625 Roman feet (185 metres or 606.9 feet), or 125 paces, and was equal to one-eighth of a mile. The mile was 5,000 Roman feet (1,480 metres or 4,856 feet) or…
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…measures were the furlong or stade (stadium), the mile (mille passus), and the league (leuga). The stade consisted of 625 Roman feet (185 metres or 606.9 feet), or 125 paces, and was equal to one-eighth of a mile. The mile was 5,000 Roman feet (1,480 metres or 4,856 feet) or…
Read More