To find out how long it would take Fred to run 8.5 miles at the same speed, we can use the following steps:

Step 1: Calculate Fred's speed in miles per hour.

Fred ran 6.25 miles in $1 \frac{1}{4}$ hours, which is equivalent to 1.25 hours. Therefore, his speed $S$ in miles per hour is:

$S = \frac{6.25 \text{ miles}}{1.25 \text{ hours}} = 5 \text{ miles per hour}$

Step 2: Use the speed to determine the time for 8.5 miles.

Now that we know Fred's speed is 5 miles per hour, we can find the time $T$ it would take him to run 8.5 miles by using the formula:

$T = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}} = \frac{8.5 \text{ miles}}{5 \text{ miles per hour}} = 1.7 \text{ hours}$

Conclusion:

It would take Fred 1.7 hours to run 8.5 miles at his current speed.

Would you like more details or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions you might find interesting:

1. How long would it take Fred to run 10 miles at the same speed?
2. If Fred improved his speed to 6 miles per hour, how long would it take him to run 8.5 miles?
3. How many miles could Fred run in 2 hours at his current speed?
4. What is Fred's speed in minutes per mile?
5. How far would Fred run in 30 minutes at his current speed?

Tip: When dealing with time and distance problems, always convert mixed numbers into improper fractions or decimals for easier calculation.