Health & Fitness
Running Calorie Calculator
Updated Aug 26, 2026 Reviewed Aug 26, 2026
Estimate gross and net activity calories from body weight, distance, duration, pace-derived METs, or a chosen activity MET.
Running energy estimate
Enter body weight and run details
Result
Calculation summary
Enter values to see the result
Your result, breakdown, assumptions, and warnings will appear here.
Energy preview
Gross and activity-only energy
Formulakcal = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter body weight, running distance, and moving time.
- 2Use pace-derived MET for ordinary steady running, an activity preset for special terrain, or a trusted custom MET.
- 3Compare gross and net activity energy before using the estimate.
Formula
kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes
Gross calories use full MET; net activity calories use MET minus the 1-MET resting baseline.
Calculation steps
- Convert body weight to kilograms and distance to meters.
- Calculate average speed and choose a MET or use the selected activity/custom value.
- Apply the MET energy equation and show gross, net, kilojoule, time, and distance rates.
Worked example
A 70 kg runner covering 5 km in 30 minutes at 9.3 MET uses about 342 gross kcal and 305 net activity kcal.
Assumptions
- Distance and duration represent active running time at a representative average effort.
- MET values are population averages and real expenditure varies.
- Gross energy includes resting expenditure; net activity energy subtracts 1 MET.
- This is not a nutrition prescription or medical measurement.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Why are gross and net calories different?
Gross includes resting energy during the activity period; net subtracts a 1-MET baseline.
Is pace or a custom MET better?
Pace is simplest for steady level running; use a trusted activity-specific value when conditions differ.
Why can a watch show another number?
Wearables may use heart rate, sensors, personal calibration, and proprietary definitions of active calories.
Does this include afterburn?
No. It estimates energy during the entered active duration.
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