Step-by-step explanation: To find the time it takes Elijah to run 1 lap, we need to divide the time it takes him to run 4 laps by the number of laps he runs in that time. Since it takes Elijah 8 minutes to run 4 laps, the time it takes him to run 1 lap is 8 minutes / 4 laps = ${2}$ minutes per lap.
This calculation illustrates the concept of unit rate, which is the rate at which a quantity changes over a given unit of time or distance. In this case, the unit rate is the time it takes Elijah to run 1 lap, which is 2 minutes per lap. This unit rate allows us to compare the time it takes Elijah to run different distances, and to determine how long it would take him to run a given distance at the same pace.