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A metric mile is a distance which approximates one statute mile (1609.344 m) at a round figure of metres (the SI or metric unit of length). The term is most commonly used in track running and swimming.
In track running, the 1500 m race became the standard middle distance race in Europe in the late 19th century, and has been the standard distance in the Olympic Games since 1896. The distance of the race is sometimes referred to as a metric mile.
An ell (from Proto-Germanic *alinō, cognate with Latin ulna) is a unit of measurement, originally a cubit, i.e., approximating the length of a man's arm from the elbow ("elbow" means the bend or bow of the ell or arm) to the tip of the middle finger, or about 18 inches (457 mm); in later usage, any of several longer units.