Work out calories and kilojoules burned from running, based on your body weight, your pace, and either the time you ran or the distance you covered — with quick presets for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon.
Running burns calories in proportion to how hard your body is working, captured by a MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value for each running pace. The formula is calories = MET × body weight in kilograms × time in hours. A faster pace carries a higher MET, so a tempo run burns noticeably more than an easy jog over the same weight and duration. A 70 kg adult running a tempo pace (11.0 MET, about 11.3 km/h) for 30 minutes burns close to 385 kcal, or about 1,611 kJ.
| Metric | Value |
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The calculation rests on three things: your running pace (expressed as a MET value), your body weight, and how long you were moving. Heavier bodies and harder paces both burn more per minute, and more minutes simply means more total calories.
The table below uses a steady run pace (MET 9.3, about 9.7 km/h), where completing 5 kilometres takes roughly 31 minutes regardless of body weight — only the calorie total changes with weight, since the time to cover a fixed distance at a fixed speed stays the same.
| Body Weight | MET | Time for 5K | Calories | Kilojoules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 9.3 | ~31 min | 288 kcal | 1,205 kJ |
| 70 kg | 9.3 | ~31 min | 336 kcal | 1,406 kJ |
| 80 kg | 9.3 | ~31 min | 384 kcal | 1,607 kJ |
| 90 kg | 9.3 | ~31 min | 431 kcal | 1,803 kJ |
| 100 kg | 9.3 | ~31 min | 479 kcal | 2,004 kJ |
Doubling the distance to a full 10 kilometres at the same steady run pace roughly doubles both the time on your feet and the calories burned, since both scale directly with distance at a constant speed.
| Body Weight | MET | Time for 10K | Calories | Kilojoules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 9.3 | ~62 min | 575 kcal | 2,406 kJ |
| 70 kg | 9.3 | ~62 min | 671 kcal | 2,807 kJ |
| 80 kg | 9.3 | ~62 min | 767 kcal | 3,209 kJ |
| 90 kg | 9.3 | ~62 min | 863 kcal | 3,611 kJ |
| 100 kg | 9.3 | ~62 min | 959 kcal | 4,012 kJ |
Here body weight is fixed at 70 kg and the pace changes across all five presets, showing how much intensity alone shifts the hourly total and the ground you cover in that hour.
| Pace | MET | Speed | Distance in 1 Hour | Calories/Hour | Kilojoules/Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy jog | 8.5 | 8.0 km/h | 8.0 km | 595 kcal | 2,489 kJ |
| Steady run | 9.3 | 9.7 km/h | 9.7 km | 651 kcal | 2,724 kJ |
| Tempo run | 11.0 | 11.3 km/h | 11.3 km | 770 kcal | 3,222 kJ |
| Fast run | 12.0 | 12.9 km/h | 12.9 km | 840 kcal | 3,515 kJ |
| Race pace | 13.0 | 14.5 km/h | 14.5 km | 910 kcal | 3,807 kJ |
Divide the MET value of a running pace by its speed in km/h and you get a rough calorie cost per kilogram of body weight per kilometre. Across the five presets above, that works out to somewhere between about 0.9 and 1.06 kcal/kg/km — close enough to a simple "1 kcal per kilogram per kilometre" rule that many runners use for quick mental maths, at least at moderate paces on flat ground. This rule breaks down once terrain gets involved: running uphill forces your legs to work against gravity on every stride, which pushes the real energy cost above the flat-ground figures this calculator produces, and the effect grows quickly as the climb steepens. A hilly training loop or trail run will generally cost noticeably more than the same distance run on a flat road, even at what feels like the same effort.
Australian nutrition panels list energy in kilojoules, not calories, so it helps to convert your running burn into the same unit your food packaging uses. Multiply your calorie figure by 4.184 to get kilojoules. A 70 kg person doing a 30-minute tempo run burns about 385 kcal, which is roughly 1,611 kJ — useful to know if you want to weigh a run against the energy value printed on a snack or sports drink label.
How many calories does running a 5K burn?
At a steady run pace (MET 9.3, about 9.7 km/h), a 70 kg runner completing a 5K in around 31 minutes burns approximately 336 kcal (about 1,406 kJ). A lighter 60 kg runner burns roughly 288 kcal over the same distance, while a 90 kg runner burns about 431 kcal, because heavier bodies use more energy to cover the same ground. Running the 5K faster than steady pace slightly increases the cost per kilometre too.
How many calories does running a 10K burn?
Running a full 10K at a steady pace (MET 9.3) takes about 62 minutes and burns roughly 671 kcal (about 2,807 kJ) for a 70 kg runner. As with the 5K, the figure scales with body weight — a 60 kg runner burns close to 575 kcal, while a 100 kg runner burns around 959 kcal covering the same 10 kilometres.
How many calories does running burn per hour?
It depends heavily on how hard you're running. For a 70 kg runner, an easy jog (MET 8.5) burns about 595 kcal per hour, a steady run (MET 9.3) burns about 651 kcal, a tempo run (MET 11.0) burns about 770 kcal, a fast run (MET 12.0) burns about 840 kcal, and race pace (MET 13.0) burns roughly 910 kcal per hour. Use the calculator above with your own weight and pace for an exact figure.
Does running burn more calories than walking?
Yes, generally. Running paces carry MET values roughly double those of typical walking paces, so running burns substantially more calories per minute. Per kilometre the gap is smaller but still real — running tends to cost close to 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per kilometre, somewhat more than a brisk walk, because running is a less economical gait at speed than walking is at its own pace.
How many calories does a half marathon or marathon burn?
At a steady run pace (MET 9.3), a 70 kg runner takes around 2 hours 10 minutes to complete a half marathon (21.1 km) and burns approximately 1,416 kcal (about 5,925 kJ). A full marathon (42.2 km) at the same pace takes roughly 4 hours 21 minutes and burns close to 2,832 kcal (about 11,849 kJ) — almost exactly double, since both the distance and the time double while the pace stays constant.
Does running uphill or on hills burn more calories?
This calculator uses flat-ground MET values. Running uphill forces your legs to work against gravity on every stride, which raises the real energy cost above the flat-pace figures shown here — the steeper the climb, the bigger the gap. Downhill sections can partly offset this on a hilly loop, but not fully, since controlling your descent still costs energy. If your run includes significant hills, treat the numbers on this page as a reasonable floor rather than an exact total.
Can I calculate calories for a set distance instead of time?
Yes. Switch the calculator to distance mode, choose a preset like 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon (or enter a custom distance), and select your pace. The calculator works out how long that distance takes at your chosen speed before calculating calories, kilojoules and the other results — handy if you tracked a run by distance on a watch or app rather than timing it precisely.
How accurate are these running calorie estimates?
These figures are estimates based on published MET values and should be treated as a guide rather than an exact reading. Actual calorie burn varies with running economy, fitness level, terrain, wind, temperature and individual metabolism. Studies of wearable devices show calorie estimates can vary by 20% or more between people running at the identical pace, so use the numbers here to compare paces and distances rather than as a precise daily total.