Guide / Running
Calories burned running chart
Kilocalories per kilometer and per mile for body weights from 50 to 120 kg, at four running speeds on the flat. A third table shows what a treadmill incline adds.
Calories per kilometer by weight
The biggest factor in running calories is body weight. Speed matters much less once you measure per kilometer rather than per minute. The chart below makes that plain: read down a column and the figure climbs steadily, read across a row and it barely moves.
Every number comes from the ACSM running equation the calculator uses. It turns speed and incline into oxygen use, then oxygen into kilocalories. The results are gross, which means they include the energy your body would have used at rest anyway.
Kilocalories per km, flat
Calculator default| Body weight | 8 km/h | 10 km/h | 12 km/h | 14 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 56.6 | 55.3 | 54.4 | 53.8 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 67.9 | 66.3 | 65.2 | 64.5 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 79.2 | 77.3 | 76.1 | 75.3 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 90.5 | 88.4 | 87.0 | 86.0 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 101.8 | 99.5 | 97.9 | 96.8 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 113.1 | 110.5 | 108.8 | 107.5 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 124.4 | 121.5 | 119.6 | 118.3 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 135.8 | 132.6 | 130.5 | 129.0 |
Same code as the calculator: VO2 = 3.5 + 0.2 × speed + 0.9 × speed × grade, with speed in m/min. Then kcal/min = VO2 × kg ÷ 1000 × 5. Per-km figures to one decimal, as the calculator shows them. Pound figures are rounded conversions for reference; the arithmetic uses kilograms. The 8 km/h column sits just below the equation's floor, so the calculator flags it.
Kilocalories per mile, flat
Calculator default| Body weight | 8 km/h | 10 km/h | 12 km/h | 14 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 91.0 | 88.9 | 87.5 | 86.5 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 109.2 | 106.7 | 105.0 | 103.8 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 127.4 | 124.5 | 122.5 | 121.1 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 145.6 | 142.3 | 140.0 | 138.4 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 163.9 | 160.0 | 157.5 | 155.7 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 182.1 | 177.8 | 175.0 | 173.0 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 200.3 | 195.6 | 192.5 | 190.3 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 218.5 | 213.4 | 210.0 | 207.6 |
The same runs measured in miles. Each figure is the run's total divided by its length in miles, which is what the calculator reports with its distance set to miles. For reference, 8, 10, 12 and 14 km/h are about 5.0, 6.2, 7.5 and 8.7 mph.
Reading the two charts
Find your weight on the left and your usual speed along the top. Multiply by the distance you ran for a total. So 10 km at 10 km/h for someone weighing 80 kg comes to 88.4 × 10, or about 884 kcal.
Each 10 kg of body weight adds roughly the same amount, about 11 kcal per km at 10 km/h. That is because weight multiplies the whole equation. Double the weight and you double the figure.
Speed works differently. Going from 8 to 14 km/h lowers the per-km figure by about 5% at any weight. The cost of moving each kilometer is fixed in this equation. Only the resting share changes, and a faster runner spends fewer minutes on each kilometer to collect it.
Per minute, of course, faster running burns far more. The calculator's own FAQ covers that side. These charts answer the per-distance question, which is usually what people mean when they ask how much a run burned.
What an incline adds
On a treadmill the calculator can include a fixed incline. The climbing term grows with both speed and grade, so it adds up quickly. Here is one runner, 70 kg at 10 km/h, on three settings.
Incline effect: 70 kg at 10 km/h
| Incline | VO2 (ml/kg/min) | kcal/min | Per km | Per mile | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 36.8 | 12.9 | 77.3 | 124.5 | 774 |
| 3% | 41.3 | 14.5 | 86.8 | 139.7 | 868 |
| 6% | 45.8 | 16.0 | 96.3 | 154.9 | 963 |
10 km/h = 166.7 m/min. Each 3% of grade adds 0.9 × 166.7 × 0.03 = 4.5 ml/kg/min. The hourly total is rounded to a whole kilocalorie, the rest to one decimal, matching the calculator.
Each 3% of incline adds about 95 kcal an hour for this runner, roughly 12% of the flat figure every time. The climbing term keeps growing in a straight line with grade, and the calculator accepts inclines up to 15%.
Outdoors this table is only a rough guide. A hill route goes up and down, and the equation has no term for descending. Running downhill does not hand back what the climb cost.
Gross vs net calories
Gross calories are everything your body used during the run. Net calories are only the extra that running added on top of resting. Most charts and calculators, this one included, report gross.
The equation makes the split easy to see. Its 3.5 term is resting metabolism. Take it out, and on the flat the net cost comes to exactly 1 kcal for each kilogram you weigh, every kilometer, whatever the speed. So an 80 kg runner uses about 80 kcal per km over resting, against the 88.4 gross figure at 10 km/h.
Neither number is the wrong one. Gross is the total energy used. Net is the part that would not have happened if you had stayed home. When comparing your run with another source, check which one it reports.
The 8 km/h floor
ACSM's running equation is meant for speeds above about 134 m/min. That is just over 8 km/h, or about a 7:28 per kilometer pace. Slower than that, most people's movement is closer to walking, and walking has its own equation.
Exactly 8 km/h works out to 133.3 m/min, a fraction under the floor. The chart includes it because it is a common easy pace, but the calculator will show a note against any result at that speed. Treat the 8 km/h column as the least reliable of the four.
Why every figure is an estimate
The equation describes an average runner. It does not know your running economy, which varies a lot between people at the same weight and speed. It does not know about wind, heat, uneven ground or a pack on your back.
The oxygen-to-energy step also uses a round figure of 5 kcal per liter of oxygen. The true value shifts a little with what your body is burning for fuel. None of this makes the chart useless. It makes it a fair estimate rather than a measurement, good for comparing one run with another.
These charts are estimates from a published exercise equation, offered as general information. They are not diet or medical advice, and they should not be used to set a calorie target. If you are planning changes to what you eat, or managing a health condition, get advice from your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Common questions
How many kcal is one mile of running?
By this equation, a 70 kg runner at 10 km/h on the flat uses about 124.5 kcal per mile, gross. At 80 kg it is 142.3, and at 60 kg it is 106.7. Read your weight and speed off the per-mile table for other combinations.
How much does each extra 10 kg add per kilometer?
About 11 kcal per km at 10 km/h. Body weight multiplies every term in the equation, so the per-km figure climbs by the same step for every 10 kg. The step is a little bigger at slow speeds and a little smaller at fast ones.
Why does the per-km figure fall slightly as speed rises?
Because part of the figure is resting metabolism, which is charged per minute. A faster runner spends fewer minutes on each kilometer, so less resting energy lands on it. The cost of moving itself is the same per kilometer at any speed in this equation.
Is there a quick rule for running calories per kilometer?
On the flat, this equation's net cost works out to exactly 1 kcal for each kilogram you weigh, every kilometer, at any speed. An 80 kg runner uses about 80 kcal per km over resting. The gross figure in the chart is that plus the resting share, so it is always a bit higher.