# How many running calories do I burn?

Estimates the calories burned running from body weight, speed or kind of run, and minutes, with MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/health/calories-burned-running-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/health/calories-burned-running-calculator.json
- Version: b82b8802dddc

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Weight 160 lb, Speed or kind of run 6 to 6.3 mph (10 min/mile), Minutes run 30): Running for 30 minutes (6 to 6.3 mph (10 min/mile)) at 160 lb burns about 354 calories.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| weight | Weight | Your body weight. |
| pace | Speed or kind of run | Your running speed, or the kind of run, which sets the MET value. |
| min | Minutes run | How long you run, in minutes. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| calories | Calories burned | Total kilocalories burned during the run, including what the body burns at rest. |
| net | Above resting | Kilocalories beyond what you would burn resting for the same time: (MET − 1) of the total. |
| perHour | Calories per hour | Kilocalories burned per hour at this speed and weight. |
| met | MET value | The Compendium’s energy cost of the run as a multiple of the resting rate. |

## Method

Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes; calories above resting use MET − 1.

## Assumptions

- MET values are the 2024 Adult Compendium’s, measured in adults 19 to 59 years old.
- One MET is taken as 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram per minute, and 1 litre of oxygen as 5 kilocalories (the Compendium’s conversions).
- The answer is an estimate for an average runner; fitness, running form, wind and terrain change the real cost.
- This is for information only and is not medical advice.

## Worked examples

1. weight = 72.574779, pace = 12050, min = 30 gives calories = 354.346359, net = 316.2446, perHour = 708.692719, met = 9.3. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Running, https://pacompendium.com/running; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.
2. weight = 70, pace = 12090, min = 45 gives calories = 661.5, net = 606.375, perHour = 882. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Running, https://pacompendium.com/running; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.
3. weight = 90.718474, pace = 12200, min = 240 gives calories = 5,067.533958, net = 4,686.516367. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Running, https://pacompendium.com/running; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.
4. weight = 55, pace = 12028, min = 20 gives calories = 125.125, met = 6.5. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Running, https://pacompendium.com/running; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.

## FAQ

### How many calories does running burn?

A 160 lb person running 30 minutes at 6 mph (10 min/mile, 9.3 MET) burns about 354 calories, or 709 an hour. A heavier runner or a faster pace burns more.

### How is it calculated?

Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200, the Compendium’s conversion. Multiply by the minutes. The MET value is the energy cost of the run as a multiple of sitting at rest.

### Does running faster burn more calories per minute?

Yes. In the Compendium, running at 5 mph is 8.5 MET, at 8 mph 12.0 MET and at 10 mph 14.8 MET, so each minute costs more. Per mile, the difference is much smaller, because a faster mile takes fewer minutes.

### What does “above resting” mean?

The calories from the run itself: (MET − 1) of the total. Your body would have burned the rest (1 MET) even sitting still for the same time.

### Why does my watch show a different number?

A watch may use your heart rate, a different formula, or count only the calories above resting. The Compendium values are averages for adults 19 to 59; fitness, form and terrain change the real cost.

### How do I pick my speed?

Divide the distance by the time. 3 miles in 30 minutes is 6 mph, a 10-minute mile. Pick the nearest row; for a treadmill run with an incline, the treadmill calorie calculator uses your exact speed and grade.

## Sources

- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Running (codes 12xxx and their MET values). https://pacompendium.com/running (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (1 MET = 3.5 mL O₂/kg/min; METs to kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200). https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Herrmann SD and others. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science 2024;13:6–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010 (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly). https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811 (retrieved 2026-10-02)