Running calorie calculator.
Estimate the calories you burn on a run. Enter your weight, the distance and the time, and the calculator uses your speed and the MET formula to work it out.
Your run
LiveCalories use the MET formula: MET times weight in kg times hours. Heavier runners and longer runs burn more; pace matters less than distance.
Calories burned
611
on this run
An estimate; real burn varies with terrain, fitness and conditions. Not medical advice. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is stored.
How it works
Weight, distance and the MET
Calories burned running come from the MET formula: a MET value for the effort, times your weight in kilograms, times the time in hours. The calculator finds your speed from the distance and time, turns that into a MET, and multiplies it out.
Body weight is the biggest factor, because you burn energy moving your mass, and distance matters more than pace: running faster burns more per minute, but you finish sooner, so the calories per mile stay fairly steady.
Reference
Calories per mile by weight.
Rough calories burned per mile of running, by body weight, at an easy pace.
| Weight | Calories / mile |
|---|---|
| 120 lb | 92 |
| 140 lb | 108 |
| 160 lb | 123 |
| 180 lb | 139 |
| 200 lb | 154 |
The full guide
The complete guide to running calories.
How the burn is worked out, what changes it, and how running fits into weight loss.
How running calories are calculated
The standard method is the MET formula: calories equal the MET value for the activity, times your weight in kilograms, times the duration in hours. Running METs rise with speed, from about 6.5 for a slow jog to over 20 at a sprint.
This calculator works out your speed from the distance and time you enter, converts it to a MET, and uses your weight to give the calories.
What changes the burn
Body weight is the largest factor, so heavier runners burn more for the same distance. Distance is next: because faster running finishes sooner, the calories per mile change less than you might expect, roughly your body weight in kilograms per mile.
Hills, soft ground, heat and carrying weight all add to the burn, while a treadmill on flat tends to read a little lower.
Running for weight loss
Running creates a large calorie burn in a short time, which helps build the deficit needed to lose weight. A 160 lb runner burns very roughly 120 calories a mile, so a few miles adds up quickly.
Pair running with a sensible calorie deficit rather than relying on exercise alone, since it is easy to eat back the calories burned.
Reading the estimate
Treat the number as a good estimate, not an exact figure. Calorie formulas assume an average efficiency, and real people vary. Use it to compare runs and track trends rather than to balance your intake to the calorie.
If you want a fuller picture, combine it with the calorie and TDEE calculators.
The formula
MET times
weight.
Calories equal MET times weight in kilograms times hours. Distance drives the total more than pace.
Try the pace calculator ›# Calories burned running
calories = MET × weight_kg × hours
MET from speed (distance / time)
# worked example
160 lb, 5 mi, 45 min → about 611 calQuestions
Running questions.
How many calories does running burn?
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It depends mainly on your weight and the distance. A 160 lb runner burns very roughly 120 calories a mile, so a 5 mile run is around 600 calories. Enter your numbers above for an estimate.
How are running calories calculated?
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With the MET formula: calories equal the MET value for your speed, times your weight in kilograms, times the time in hours. The calculator finds your speed and MET from the distance and time.
Does running faster burn more calories?
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Per minute, yes. But because you finish the distance sooner, the calories per mile change less than you might expect. Distance and body weight matter more than pace for the total.
Why is the number only an estimate?
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Calorie formulas assume an average efficiency, and real burn varies with terrain, fitness, heat and form. Use it to compare runs and track trends, not as an exact figure.
Is this running calorie calculator free?
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Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and every calculation runs locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta, with a focus on tools that are fast, free and show their working. The running calorie calculator uses the standard MET formula and is for general information, not medical advice.