Calories burned
running
845 kcal / hour Running burns approximately 845 calories per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, and 423 calories in 30 minutes. Across the normal adult weight range the hourly figure runs from about 604 to 1,449 kcal.
It carries a MET value of 11.5 in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which lists 37 measured variations of this activity from MET 6.5 to 23.
Calories burned running by body weight
Energy cost scales with the mass you move, so body weight changes the answer more than anything else.
| Body weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 151 | 302 | 453 | 604 | 906 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 181 | 362 | 543 | 725 | 1,087 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 211 | 423 | 634 | 845 | 1,268 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 242 | 483 | 725 | 966 | 1,449 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 272 | 543 | 815 | 1,087 | 1,630 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 302 | 604 | 906 | 1,208 | 1,811 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 332 | 664 | 996 | 1,328 | 1,992 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 362 | 725 | 1,087 | 1,449 | 2,174 |
Figures in kilocalories (the "calories" on food labels). The highlighted row is the 70 kg reference adult used in the headline figure; the highlighted column is one hour.
Every official intensity of running
The Compendium lists 37 separate running entries, each with its own measured MET value — from 6.5 to 23. Most calculators collapse all of this into one number. Pick the row that matches what you actually did.
| Variation | MET | kcal/hr at 70 kg | kcal/hr at 90 kg | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 4.2 mph (13 min/mile) | 6.5 | 478 | 614 | 12028 |
| barefoot, 3.5-5.9 mph | 7.8 | 573 | 737 | 12555 |
| Running (general) | 8 | 588 | 756 | 12150 |
| training, pushing a wheelchair or baby carrier | 8 | 588 | 756 | 12190 |
| jogging stroller, indoors, 5 mph | 8 | 588 | 756 | 12585 |
| 5.0 to 5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 8.5 | 625 | 803 | 12030 |
| 5.0 - 5.9 mph, 1.0 to 3.0 kg backpack | 8.5 | 625 | 803 | 12508 |
| 5.5 -5.8 mph | 9 | 662 | 851 | 12045 |
| jogging stroller, indoors, 6 mph | 9 | 662 | 851 | 12588 |
| 6-6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 9.3 | 684 | 879 | 12050 |
| cross country | 9.3 | 684 | 879 | 12140 |
| 6.0 - 6.9 mph, 1.0 to 3.0 kg backpack | 9.5 | 698 | 898 | 12510 |
| 7.0 - 7.9 mph, 1.0 to 3.0 kg backpack | 9.8 | 720 | 926 | 12512 |
| on a track, team practice | 10 | 735 | 945 | 12180 |
| jogging stroller, outdoors, 5 mph | 10 | 735 | 945 | 12593 |
| 6.7 mph (9 min/mile) | 10.5 | 772 | 992 | 12060 |
| self-selected pace | 10.5 | 772 | 992 | 12145 |
| 7 mph (8.5 min/mile) | 11 | 809 | 1,040 | 12070 |
| jogging stroller, outdoors, 6 mph | 11.5 | 845 | 1,087 | 12595 |
| 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 11.8 | 867 | 1,115 | 12080 |
| 8 mph (7.5 min/mile) | 12 | 882 | 1,134 | 12090 |
| 8.0 - 8.9 mph, 1.0 to 3.0 kg backpack | 12 | 882 | 1,134 | 12514 |
| barefoot, 6.0-7.9 mph | 12 | 882 | 1,134 | 12560 |
| 8.6 mph (7 min/mile) | 12.5 | 919 | 1,181 | 12100 |
| 9 mph (6.5 min/mile) | 13 | 956 | 1,229 | 12110 |
| marathon | 13.3 | 978 | 1,257 | 12200 |
| barefoot, 8.0-8.9 mph | 13.5 | 992 | 1,276 | 12565 |
| 9.3 to 9.6 mph | 14.8 | 1,088 | 1,399 | 12115 |
| 10 mph (6 min/mile) | 14.8 | 1,088 | 1,399 | 12120 |
| stairs, up | 15 | 1,103 | 1,418 | 12170 |
| hilly terrain, �100m change in elevation | 16 | 1,176 | 1,512 | 12350 |
| 11 mph (5.5 min/mile) | 16.8 | 1,235 | 1,588 | 12130 |
| on track, 500-1500m, competitive | 18 | 1,323 | 1,701 | 12184 |
| 12 mph (5.0 min/mile) | 18.5 | 1,360 | 1,748 | 12132 |
| on track, 2000-3000m, competitive | 19.3 | 1,419 | 1,824 | 12186 |
| 13 mph (4.6 min/mile) | 19.8 | 1,455 | 1,871 | 12134 |
| 14 mph (4.3 min/mile) | 23 | 1,691 | 2,174 | 12135 |
Codes are 2024 Adult Compendium activity codes. A dash means the code could not be read unambiguously from the published table, so it is left blank rather than guessed — the MET value and description are unaffected.
What 845 calories an hour actually means
At MET 11.5, running counts as very vigorous activity — it uses about 11.5 times the energy your body burns sitting still. For a 70 kg adult that works out to roughly 14 kcal per minute, or 845 kcal across a full hour.
Within running, that ranks 4th of 11 activities by energy cost, a little below triathlon (MET 13) and above running downhill (MET 9).
Put differently: one hour of running costs about the same energy as 173 minutes of ordinary walking.
On the food side, a medium banana (about 105 kcal) takes roughly 7 minutes of running to offset at that body weight. That framing is useful for scale, but it is worth saying plainly: exercise and diet are not a ledger that cancels neatly, and appetite tends to rise with activity.
Questions
How many calories does running burn per hour?
About 845 kcal per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, using the Compendium MET value of 11.5. A 90 kg adult burns closer to 1,087 kcal in the same hour, because energy cost scales almost directly with body mass.
How many calories does 30 minutes of running burn?
Roughly 423 kcal at 70 kg, 362 kcal at 60 kg and 604 kcal at 100 kg. Halving the time halves the calories — the relationship is linear.
What is the MET value of running?
11.5, taken as the median of the 37 running entries in the 2024 Adult Compendium, which range from 6.5 to 23 depending on intensity. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, so MET 11.5 means 11.5 times that rate.
Is this an exact number of calories?
No, and no calculator can give you one. MET values are population averages measured in laboratory conditions; your own figure varies with fitness, technique, terrain, temperature and body composition. Treat these numbers as a solid estimate for planning, not a precise measurement — and treat any device or site claiming three-digit precision with suspicion.
Related activities
Three more from running, and three with a similar energy cost from elsewhere in the Compendium.
MET value from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (activity code 12028). Calories computed as MET × 3.5 × weight kg ÷ 200 per minute. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.