Just wondering, as a newbie to Zwift (loving it by the way!) - when a route says 15miles for example, you ride 15 miles then you have at least another 3+ before you get to the finish! If I’m riding a fixed distance I get a bit disheartened to have to push that extra to find the finish…donkeys and carrots spring to mind! Am I reading something wrong?
With some routes, you have to ride to the start of the route from the spawn point. Other routes don’t have this “lead-in” distance.
Are you referring to events or races? Sometimes there is a lead in which is not always shown in the total distance. This is a feature that has been requested by the community. In the meantime you can use site like www.zwiftpower.com to check total distances for events and through more riding and experience you will get used to it too 
I have the same question. For example, the Sand and Sequoias route is listed as 12.6 miles. Twice I have gone past 13.4 with no end in sight. Are the lead-in distances this long?
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Been wondering about this also. I just rode the Highline route in Central Park. It’s listed as 10.5 KM and 178 M of climbing. I didn’t get to the finish banner until I had ridden 15.7 KM and climbed 308 meters. As mentioned above, it can get a little disheartening when you’re pushing hard to get to the end, but it’s not there. So you keep riding…and it’s still not there…and you’re just left wondering where the end really is, and you have no idea how hard of a push to sustain. In general, I love Zwift, but this aspect of the experience could use some work.
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I am curious about this as well. I am new to Zwift and I am having a difficult time figuring out when the end of the route is. The mileage seems to be off more often than not. Sometimes I see the route complete banner at the correct mileage and other times I am riding many miles/km’s more before I stop on my own.
Maybe someone from Zwift could answer this for us?
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As someone else said, this is typical for most of the routes, and not limited to races and group rides. Take Sand and Sequoias (or any of the desert flat routes) for example. You spawn out in the desert, usually well before the sprint segment. The arch at the end of the Sprint is the beginning of the route you chose. So you have to ride for a while just to get to that arch, then your route distance starts, back to that same arch. For other routes and worlds, the same is true. You spawn somewhere well before the beginning point, ride to that (it’s usually a start/finish banner or arch of some sort) and that’s the actual beginning. So you can’t look at the distance you’ve gone alone, you have to look at the distance you’ve gone since you passed the start banner/arch. It does take a little getting used to, but once you know, you don’t even think about it much.
Ride on!
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It really gets funny, if you’re doing the London - Surrey Hills route or the Innsbruck - Lutscher (and CCW) route.
The Start point is at top of a hill and the lead-in is a hard climb 
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Ben,
that’s actually not funny.
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You need climb meters for the Tron Bike anyway, so just see it as additional training
Appreciate the feedback. I guess I need to pay better attention. 
I agree that it’s pretty lame. If they aren’t going to start you at the beginning of the route there should be a “route odometer” or some kind of map view with the route indicated. One shouldn’t have to constantly subtract the lead in length to know where they’re at.
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Or some sort of odometer “trip” button, anything would help.
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I am a newbie and enjoying Zwift experience except for route distances that seem to bear no relation to what you have to actually ride to complete a ride. This is very frustrating as you try and guage both time and effort you have to consume to finish the route and the end never seems to arrive.
Seems a fundamental flaw in the system to me. Either start the route at the start or indicate the distance you have to go to get to the start and tell the rider you are actually on the course. Come on Zwift, sort it out!
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I agree with most, this is definitely the most annoying part of Zwift. I’m not buying the lead in thing either because I’ve had it the opposite where the total amount I end up climbing is less than the route advertised. If there was a lead in that could never be, I would always end up climbing at least the amount advertised, usually more. I really wish this would get fixed as I have given up on seeing route complete to find out I just had a little more to go.
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So what?
Just ride.
It doesn’t matter if you finish the route. You can stop anytime, anywhere.
That’s the big plus compared to riding outdoors.
These route badges, they give you a few XP. So what? Forget about them and just ride to have fun.
Climb meters never add up outdoors. I ride with a Garmin 130, my friend has a Garmin 645. If we ride together, he gets 600hm, I get 800hm.
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As for me, it is not obvious where the route starts. So you mean that each route begin is marked by the start banner or arch? Then i would like this mark should be more evident
Before you choose a route look up its info online either google the route name + zwift or use Routes to see actually how long it is. It would be nice if zwift fixed the confusion but if you want to know how far you have to ride then you need to look it up somewhere other than zwift.
I find it frustrating as well. Just update the distance and climb for each ride so that they are exact from the start of the ride where you spawn from. I did the Lutscher ride this morning. Zwift said it was 13.9km in distance and 400m of climbing. After riding 13.9km and climbing 400m the ride was still not finished, I had to go up the hill again to complete the ride, very frustrating when i am trying to pace myself for a ride with incorrect details.
Just get the ride details correct in the first place please Zwift.
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Routes with lead-in distances: Complete Master List of All Zwift Course Routes | Zwift Insider