The number of calories burned running will depend on your weight, the distance and speed you run, and the type and level of terrain.
An estimate is that a 200 pound person burns 792 calories per hour running at 5mph (12min/mile, or 8kph) on a firm, level surface. A 140 pound person burns 555 calories in the same scenario.
For more styles of running see our pages on calories burned from jogging, walking, treadmill, nordic walking, and water walking.
Calculator
How many calories are burned running?
Formula
Calories burned per minute = (MET x body weight in Kg x 3.5) ÷ 200
“MET” is a measurement of the energy cost of physical activity for a period of time. You can find an activity’s MET on the chart above.
A task with a MET of 1 is roughly equal to a person’s energy expenditure from sitting still at room temperature not actively digesting food.
A task with a MET of 2 uses twice as much energy as a task with a MET of 1. A task with a MET of 10 uses 10 times as much energy as a task with a MET of 1.
MET values “do not estimate the energy cost of physical activity in individuals in ways that account for differences in body mass, adiposity, age, sex, efficiency of movement, geographic and environmental conditions in which the activities are performed. Thus, individual differences in energy expenditure for the same activity can be large and the true energy cost for an individual may or may not be close to the stated mean MET level as presented in the Compendium.” (as quoted from the main page of the Compendium of Physical Activities).
Example
A person weighs 180 pounds (81.65kg) and runs at a rate of 5 mph (a task that has a MET value of 8.3) for 1 hour (60 minutes).
Calories Burned from running at 5 mph (per minute) = (8.3 x 81.65 x 3.5) ÷ 200 = 11.86
Calories Burned from running at 5 mph (for 60 minutes) = 11.86 x 60 = 712
Calories burned running by weight and time
Your weight is an important factor is calculating the number of calories burned from running. A 200-pound (90.7kg) person burns 467 calories running at 6mph for 30 minutes. A 140-pound (63.5kg) person burns 327 calories in the same scenario.
How does the distance you run impact the number of calories burned?
The further you run, the more calories you’ll burn. The chart below details calorie burn for different distances.
How does the speed you run affect the number of calories you burn?
Faster running results in a more intensive, higher-calorie-per-minute burn. A 180-pound (81.6kg) person running at 4mph burns 214 calories in 30 minutes. Running at 8mph they’ll burn 562 calories.
How long does it take to burn 1000 calories from running?
Most people will burn 1000 calories in 1-2 hours depending on the speed they run. A 200-pound (90.7kg) person running at 7mph will burn 1,000 calories in about an hour. A 140-pound (63.5kg) person running at 6mph will take about 2 and a half hours to burn 1,000 calories.
FAQ
How many calories do you burn in 30 minutes of running?
In 30 minutes of running on a flat level surface, a 200 pound (90.7kg) person will burn: 239 calories at 4mph (6.4kph), 396 calories at 5mph (8kph), 468 calories at 6mph (9.7kph), and 525 calories at 7mph (11.3kph).
In the same scenario, a 150 pound (68kg) person will burn: 179 calories at 4mph (6.4kph), 297 calories at 5mph (8kph), 351 calories at 6mph (9.7kph), and 394 calories at 7mph (11.3kph).
How many calories do you burn running a mile in 10 minutes?
At 10 minutes/mile (6mph) on a level flat surface, a 200 pound person will burn 156 calories and a 150 pound person will burn 117 calories.
How much do you have to run to burn 1000 calories?
On a flat level surface, a 200 pound person will burn 1000 calories running at: 7mph (11.3kph) for 57 minutes, 6mph (9.7kph) for 64 minutes, 5mph (8kph) for 76 minutes, and 4mph (6.4kph) for 126 minutes.
In the same scenario, a 150 pound person will burn 1000 calories running at: 7mph for 76 minutes, 6mph for 86 minutes, 5mph for 101 minutes, and 4mph for 168 minutes.
How many calories does a 5 mile run burn?
A 200 pound person will burn about 750 calories and a 150 pound person will burn about 560 calories.
On a flat level surface, a 200 pound person running 5 miles will burn: 792 calories at 5mph (60 minutes), 780 calories at 6mph (50 minutes), 744 calories at 7mph (42.5 minutes), and 704 calories at 8mph (37.5 minutes).
In the same scenario, a 150 pound person will burn: 594 calories at 5mph, 585 calories at 6mph, 558 calories at 7mph, and 528 calories at 8mph.
Sources and External Resources
- Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, Meckes N, Bassett Jr DR, Tudor-Locke C, Greer JL, Vezina J, Whitt-Glover MC, Leon AS. The Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide. Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University. Retrieved May 11, 2015, from the World Wide Web.
https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/ - Arizona State University Healthy Lifestyles Research Center – Compendium of Physical Activities – Running – provides MET values for different running activities.
- Learn about “MET” and the compendium of physical activities from Arizona State University, University or South Carolina, and Wikipedia. There is a summary of general physical activities defined by intensity from the CDC and the Harvard School of Public Health.
- Recommendations on physical activity for health from the Harvard School of Public Health and the WHO.
- Learn to run with “5 Steps to Learning to Love Running” by Matt Frazier of No Meat Athele via Zen Habits, “A Beginner’s Guide To Running: 4 Steps To Learn How To Run” by NerdFitness, “How I learned to run at middle age” by Empress of Dirt, “Learn How to Properly Run in 30 Days” by VeryWellFit, and “The World’s Simplest Learn to Run Program” by Jenny Hadfield of Runner’s World.
- The most popular running forums we know of are Running Chat, Running Ahead, Let’s Run, Reddit’s r/running, Runner’s Forum (UK), and BackCountry Runner.
- Learn about the benefits of running with“Running for health: Even a little bit is good, but a little more is probably better” by Daniel Pendick of Harvard Health Publishing, “6 Ways Running Improves Your Health” by Jennifer Van Allen of Running World, “The surprising health benefits of going for a run” by Johnny Cooper of The Telegraph, and “The Genius of Cardio” by Adam Campbell of Men’s Health.
- “Too Much Running Tied to Shorter Life Span” by Kathleen Doheny and “Why Jogging My Be Better For Your Health Than Running” by Alice G. Walton of Forbes provide alternate ideas to running for health.
- Some studies on the benefits of running from “Running as a treatement for depression” by Greist, Klein, Eischens, Faris, Gurman, & Morgan and “Aging, long-distance running, and the development of musculoskeletal disability: A controlled study” by Lane, Bloch, Wood, & Fries.