Lap counter · Free · No sign-up
Online Lap Counter
An online lap counter records one tap per length or lap so you do not have to hold the number in your head while you swim or run. Tap once at each wall or each finish line, read the total off a large display, and use the distance tables below to convert laps into metres, yards or miles.
It saves after every tap, so a paused session is still there when you come back.
Auto uses your step size, stops on its own at a min or max limit, and records the whole run as a single undo.
Min / max limits
Session stats
Shortcuts: +/↑/Space increase · −/↓ decrease · R reset · N new counter · A auto count · Ctrl+Z undo · Ctrl+Y redo
Counting laps is the classic case of a number that is easy to keep and easy to lose. One tap per length, a total you can read from a metre away, and an undo for the lap you counted twice.
A lap counter is a tool that records how many laps or lengths have been completed during a swim, run or ride, so the total does not have to be remembered while the activity is in progress.
- No sign-up
- No ads
- Counts never leave your browser
- Works offline
- Unlimited counters
Key facts
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, unlimited use |
| Best for | Pool lengths, track laps, treadmill intervals, cycling circuits |
| Display | Focus mode fills the screen so the number is readable poolside |
| One tap per lap | Or press Space, so a wet finger on any part of the screen is enough |
| Fix a miscount | Undo and redo if you tap twice at a turn |
| Set a target | Max limit stops the counter at your goal distance |
| Works offline | Yes, which matters in pool halls with no signal |
| Saves automatically | Every lap is stored instantly in your browser |
How to count laps with the online lap counter
Set a target distance and count lengths without losing your place.
Decide whether you are counting laps or lengths
In a pool, a length is one pass and a lap is usually two, there and back. Pick one and stay with it, because mixing them halves or doubles your distance.
Set your target as a maximum
Open “Min / max limits” and set the maximum to the number of lengths in your target distance. The counter stops there instead of letting you overshoot.
Turn on focus mode
Focus mode hides everything except the number and the buttons, so the display is readable from the end of the lane and the target is easy to hit with a wet hand.
Tap once at every wall
Tap the + button, or press Space if the device is on the poolside within reach. Turn on sound so you get an audible confirmation over the water.
Use undo if you tap twice
Press Undo or Ctrl+Z. Because your count is saved after every tap, stopping for a rest or locking the phone will not lose the session.
Where a lap counter earns its place
Any repeated circuit where the count matters more than the clock.
Swimming lengths in a pool
Tap at each wall. Set the max to your target so the counter tells you when the set is done rather than making you remember the number.
Running laps on a track
A 400 m track means one lap is 400 m, so a 5 km run is 12.5 laps. Count the laps and let the table below do the distance.
Treadmill and indoor intervals
Count intervals rather than distance, with a separate counter for hard and easy segments.
Cycling circuits and crits
Count circuit laps at a training session where no lap board is running, with a target set as the maximum.
Coaching a squad
Keep one counter per lane or per athlete, named accordingly, and copy the totals into the session log afterwards.
Walking laps of a park or track
Count laps during rehab or a step goal, with the count surviving a pause for a rest.
Rowing and erg pieces
Count completed pieces in a session and use the step size if each piece counts as a fixed distance.
Charity and sponsored laps
Count laps for a sponsored swim or run where each lap has a pledged value, using the step size to total money instead of laps.
Laps and lengths converted to distance
The counter gives you a number of laps. These tables turn that number into distance, so you can set a target before you start rather than doing arithmetic while out of breath.
| Distance | 25 m pool | 50 m pool | 25 yd pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 m | 16 lengths | 8 lengths | 18 lengths |
| 500 m | 20 lengths | 10 lengths | 22 lengths |
| 750 m | 30 lengths | 15 lengths | 33 lengths |
| 1,000 m | 40 lengths | 20 lengths | 44 lengths |
| 1 mile (1,609 m) | 64 lengths | 32 lengths | 70 lengths |
| 1,500 m | 60 lengths | 30 lengths | 66 lengths |
| 2,000 m | 80 lengths | 40 lengths | 88 lengths |
Figures are rounded to whole lengths. Remember that a lap is commonly two lengths, so halve these numbers if you are counting laps rather than lengths.
| Distance | Laps in lane one | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 800 m | 2 | Two laps exactly |
| 1 mile | 4.02 | Four laps plus about 9 metres |
| 3 km | 7.5 | Seven laps plus half a lap |
| 5 km | 12.5 | Start on the back straight to finish on the line |
| 10 km | 25 | Twenty-five laps exactly |
Outer lanes are longer, so a lap in lane eight is roughly 453 metres. If you are counting laps in an outer lane, set the step size to that lane's lap distance and the counter totals your metres directly.
Keeping a lap count that survives the whole session
The count is easy for ten lengths and hard for sixty. These are the habits that scale.
Fix the vocabulary before you get in
Lengths or laps, chosen once, for the entire session. Mixing them mid-set is a 100% error, not a rounding error.
Count at the wall, every time
Tie the number to the touch. A count updated at an inconsistent moment is a count you will lose.
Set the target as a maximum
Then you are tracking one number instead of two. The counter tells you when the set is finished.
Group into blocks of five
Holding “block seven, third length” is far easier than holding “thirty-eight”, because both numbers stay small.
Put the phone where you can reach it wet
Focus mode gives a target you can hit without aiming. A phone you have to pick up and unlock will not get used past length ten.
Online counter vs a clicker, an app, paper and a spreadsheet
Every counting method trades something away. This is what each one actually costs you.
| Feature | This online counter | Handheld clicker | Counter phone app | Pen and paper | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $5–$15 | Free with ads, or paid | Cost of paper | Subscription |
| Anything to install | No | Buy the device | App store download | No | Yes, or a web login |
| Several counts at once | Unlimited | One per device | Usually limited | Yes, messy | Yes |
| Fix a miscount | Undo and redo | Start over | Sometimes | Cross it out | Edit the cell |
| Counts by more than one | Any step size | One at a time | Sometimes | Manual maths | Yes |
| Below zero | Yes | No | Rarely | Yes | Yes |
| Keeps the count if you close it | Saves automatically | Until you reset the dial | Yes | If you keep the paper | Yes |
| Works with no signal | Yes, after first load | Yes | Yes | Yes | Often not |
| Keyboard and shortcuts | Full | None | None | None | Partial |
| Sends your data anywhere | Never | Never | Often, for accounts and ads | Never | Yes, to the cloud |
Other counter types
The same counter, set up and explained for a specific job. Your counters are shared across all of them.
Online counter
The all-purpose counter. Any step size, any number of counters, negative values allowed.
Open online counter →Tally counter
Tally marks in groups of five for surveys, stock takes and wildlife counts.
Open tally counter →Click counter
A browser clicker that replaces the handheld thumb counter for door headcounts.
Open click counter →Rep counter
Track reps and sets during a lifting session, with a step size for supersets.
Open rep counter →Score counter
A scoreboard for cards, darts and board games. One counter per player, negatives allowed.
Open score counter →Tasbeeh counter
A digital dhikr counter that stops at 33, 99 or 100 and keeps each dhikr separate.
Open tasbeeh counter →Click speed test
Measure your clicks per second over 1 to 60 seconds, with your personal best kept on-device.
Open click speed test →
Frequently asked questions
Is a lap the same as a length in swimming?
Usually not. A length is one pass of the pool, and a lap is normally there and back, so two lengths. Competitive swimming counts lengths. Decide which you are counting before you start, and keep it consistent.
How many lengths is a mile in a 25 metre pool?
A mile is 1,609 metres, which is 64.4 lengths of a 25 metre pool, normally rounded to 64 lengths. The commonly swum “swimmer's mile” of 1,650 yards is 66 lengths of a 25 yard pool.
How many laps of a running track is 5 km?
On a standard 400 metre outdoor track, 5 km is 12.5 laps in lane one. 10 km is 25 laps, and a mile is just over 4 laps, at 4.02.
Can I set the counter to stop at my target?
Yes. Open “Min / max limits”, tick Enable limits and set the maximum to your target number of laps. The counter refuses to go past it and shows an “At maximum” message.
Will I lose my count if I pause mid-session?
No. Every tap is written to your browser's storage immediately, so locking your phone, taking a rest or closing the tab does not lose the count. Reopen the page and carry on.
Can I count for two swimmers at once?
Yes. Create one counter per swimmer or per lane and name them, then switch between them from the list. There is no limit on how many you run at the same time.
Does it work with wet hands or in a pool hall with no signal?
Yes. Focus mode gives a large target that is easy to hit with a wet finger, and the counter works entirely offline after the page has loaded once, so poor signal in a pool building does not matter.
Can I count laps by more than one at a time?
Yes. Set the step size to the value each lap is worth, for example 25 to count metres directly in a 25 metre pool, or 400 to count metres on a running track.
Can I use it on a smartwatch?
Not usefully. It is a web page, so it needs a browser and a screen you can tap. A dedicated waterproof lap watch is the better tool in the water; this is for the poolside, the treadmill and the trackside.
Is my phone safe at the poolside?
Keep it away from the splash zone and out of the wet changing area. Focus mode means you can read and hit it from a metre away, so it does not need to be at the edge of the pool.
How do I count laps in an outdoor lane other than lane one?
Outer lanes are longer, so set the step size to that lane's lap distance and the counter totals metres directly. Lane one is 400 m, and lane eight is roughly 453 m per lap.
Can I count both laps and time?
The counter does laps only. Use the pool's pace clock or your watch for time, and this for the count, which is the part that is actually hard to hold in your head while swimming.
How do swimmers count laps without losing track?
The reliable methods are counting in blocks of five, tying the number to the moment your hand touches the wall, moving a physical marker at the lane end, or tapping a counter at each turn so the number lives outside your head entirely.
What is the difference between a lap and a length?
A length is one pass of the pool, wall to wall. A lap is conventionally there and back, so two lengths. Training sets and race distances are written in lengths, while gym signage often says laps, so confirm which before you start.
Counting guides
Longer answers to the questions behind the counting.
- Swimming
How to count laps while swimming
Why swimmers lose count at length 14, and five methods that actually hold up.
- Tallying
Tally marks explained
Groups of five, the five-bar gate, and why the convention has survived for centuries.
- Events
How to do an accurate headcount
Counting people is easy. Counting them accurately, twice, is not.
- Habits
Track a daily habit streak
Why streak apps fail, and what a plain daily counter does better.
- Click speed
How to click faster
Hardware and grip account for most of the gap. Practice accounts for less than people think.
- Inventory
How to do a stock take
Counting is the easy part. Preparing, and knowing your count is right, is the job.
- Training
Reps and sets explained
How to read a programme, and why the rep range matters more than the total.
- Reference
Types of counters explained
Synchronous vs asynchronous, mod-N, ring and Johnson, plus mechanical and software counters.
- Build it
How to make a counter
Twenty lines gets you counting. Here is what to add after that, and why.