The short answer: running burns about 0.73 calories per pound of body weight per mile, counting only what the run itself adds. For a 160 lb runner that is about 117 calories per mile. The table below is computed by the same engine as the running calorie calculator:
| Body weight | Per mile | 5K | 10K | Half marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb | 88 | 272 | 544 | 1,148 |
| 140 lb | 102 | 318 | 635 | 1,340 |
| 160 lb | 117 | 363 | 726 | 1,531 |
| 180 lb | 131 | 408 | 816 | 1,723 |
| 200 lb | 146 | 454 | 907 | 1,914 |
| 220 lb | 161 | 499 | 998 | 2,105 |
Why pace hardly matters
The American College of Sports Medicine’s running equation puts the energy cost of moving on the flat at a fixed amount of oxygen per meter traveled. Run faster and you burn more each minute - but you also cover the mile in fewer minutes. The result is the rule of thumb runners quote: about one kilocalorie per kilogram per kilometer, which is the 0.73 per pound per mile above. A 10:00 mile and a 7:00 mile cost almost the same; the faster one simply takes less time.
Total calories and net calories
Most apps report total calories: everything your body burned during the run, including what it would have burned sitting still. The net figure removes that resting part. For a 154 lb (70 kg) runner covering 5 km in 30 minutes, the total is about 387 calories and the net about 350. The gap is small on one run, but it always points in the flattering direction, which is why the calculator shows both.
Walking the same distance
Walking on the flat costs roughly half as much per mile as running: the same 154 lb person walking 5 km in an hour adds about 175 calories, against 350 for running it. Uphill the picture changes - walking up a steep incline is costly - which is why the calculator has an incline field that matches a treadmill console.
What the number leaves out
These are estimates from treadmill averages. They do not include wind, trails, hills you did not enter, or how economical your stride is, and two runners of the same weight can differ. Use them to compare runs and plan, not as a measurement of your metabolism.