Running calorie calculator
A 30 minute run at 160 pounds gives about 381 calories with code 12060, Running, 6.7 mph (9 min/mile), at 10.5 MET in the 2024 Adult Compendium. The number changes with pace and body weight.
Your pace, distance and time
Code 12060 at 10.5 MET for 30 minutes.
This entry prints no pace, so it takes minutes.
Enter an amount and a body weight above zero.
MET, kilograms and hours multiplied together
Calories equals MET times body weight in kilograms times hours. The Compendium MET definition and unit conversions, checked October 11, 2026, defines 1 MET as 1 kcal per kg per hour.
Pounds become kilograms by dividing by 2.2046. Minutes become hours by dividing by 60. For a distance input, miles times the pace printed in the entry gives minutes. The calorie result is rounded to a whole number.
For the 381 calorie example, 160 pounds is 72.58 kilograms and 30 minutes is 0.5 hours. So 10.5 MET times 72.58 times 0.5 is about 381 calories.
The running codes and their printed paces
These are the entries used from the 2024 Adult Compendium running list, checked October 11, 2026. Entries with a pace in min/mile accept miles. Codes 12026, 12029, 12045 and 12115 print no pace, as do all entries in the group with no stated speed. Those entries accept minutes only.
The Compendium marks 12170 and 12180 as estimated. Its note says, "Specific Activity Codes in red are estimated MET values. All other values are supported with published literature."
Speed entries
| Code | Description | MET | Compendium marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12026 | Jogging 2.6 to 3.7 mph | 3.3 | Published literature |
| 12028 | Running, 4 to 4.2 mph (13 min/mile) | 6.5 | Published literature |
| 12029 | Running 4.3 to 4.8 mph | 7.8 | Published literature |
| 12030 | Running, 5.0 to 5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 8.5 | Published literature |
| 12045 | Running, 5.5 -5.8 mph | 9.0 | Published literature |
| 12050 | Running, 6-6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 9.3 | Published literature |
| 12060 | Running, 6.7 mph (9 min/mile) | 10.5 | Published literature |
| 12070 | Running, 7 mph (8.5 min/mile) | 11.0 | Published literature |
| 12080 | Running, 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 11.8 | Published literature |
| 12090 | Running, 8 mph (7.5 min/mile) | 12.0 | Published literature |
| 12100 | Running, 8.6 mph (7 min/mile) | 12.5 | Published literature |
| 12110 | Running, 9 mph (6.5 min/mile) | 13.0 | Published literature |
| 12115 | Running, 9.3 to 9.6 mph | 14.8 | Published literature |
| 12120 | Running, 10 mph (6 min/mile) | 14.8 | Published literature |
| 12130 | Running, 11 mph (5.5 min/mile) | 16.8 | Published literature |
| 12132 | Running, 12 mph (5.0 min/mile) | 18.5 | Published literature |
| 12134 | Running, 13 mph (4.6 min/mile) | 19.8 | Published literature |
| 12135 | Running, 14 mph (4.3 min/mile) | 23.0 | Published literature |
Entries without a stated speed
| Code | Description | MET | Compendium marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12020 | Jogging, general, self-selected pace | 7.5 | Published literature |
| 12140 | Running, cross country | 9.3 | Published literature |
| 12200 | Running, marathon | 13.3 | Published literature |
| 12180 | Running, on a track, team practice | 10.0 | Estimated MET value |
| 12184 | Running, on track, 500-1500m, competitive | 18.0 | Published literature |
| 12186 | Running, on track, 2000-3000m, competitive | 19.3 | Published literature |
| 12170 | Running, stairs, up | 15.0 | Estimated MET value |
Calories burned running a mile
In the table below, running one mile comes to 83 to 170 calories across ten paces and four body weights. At 160 pounds, code 12060, Running, 6.7 mph (9 min/mile), gives about 114 calories for one mile. That is 10.5 MET times 72.58 kilograms times 0.15 hours, since 160 pounds is 72.58 kilograms and the printed 9 minute mile is 0.15 hours.
| Code | MET | Description | Minutes for 1 mile | 130 lb | 160 lb | 190 lb | 220 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12028 | 6.5 | Running, 4 to 4.2 mph (13 min/mile) | 13 | 83 | 102 | 121 | 141 |
| 12030 | 8.5 | Running, 5.0 to 5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 12 | 100 | 123 | 147 | 170 |
| 12050 | 9.3 | Running, 6-6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 10 | 91 | 112 | 134 | 155 |
| 12060 | 10.5 | Running, 6.7 mph (9 min/mile) | 9 | 93 | 114 | 136 | 157 |
| 12070 | 11.0 | Running, 7 mph (8.5 min/mile) | 8.5 | 92 | 113 | 134 | 156 |
| 12080 | 11.8 | Running, 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 8 | 93 | 114 | 136 | 157 |
| 12090 | 12.0 | Running, 8 mph (7.5 min/mile) | 7.5 | 88 | 109 | 129 | 150 |
| 12100 | 12.5 | Running, 8.6 mph (7 min/mile) | 7 | 86 | 106 | 126 | 146 |
| 12110 | 13.0 | Running, 9 mph (6.5 min/mile) | 6.5 | 83 | 102 | 121 | 141 |
| 12120 | 14.8 | Running, 10 mph (6 min/mile) | 6 | 87 | 107 | 128 | 148 |
At 160 pounds, the ten paces span 102 to 123 calories, a spread of 21. Each heavier body weight column gives a higher number in every row. For code 12060, the range from 130 to 220 pounds is 93 to 157 calories, a difference of 64.
The per-mile number does not rise steadily with speed. A faster entry has a higher MET and fewer minutes for the mile. Codes 12028 at 13 min/mile and 12110 at 6.5 min/mile give the same numbers across all four columns.
5K and 10K at four printed paces
The Compendium unit conversion divides meters by 1,609 to get miles. A 5K uses 5,000 divided by 1,609, or about 3.1075 miles. A 10K uses 10,000 divided by 1,609, or about 6.2150 miles. Each distance is multiplied by the entry's printed pace. Minutes below are displayed to one decimal, while calories use the unrounded time.
| Code | MET | Description | Distance | Minutes | 130 lb | 160 lb | 190 lb | 220 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12030 | 8.5 | Running, 5.0 to 5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 5K | 37.3 | 312 | 383 | 455 | 527 |
| 12030 | 8.5 | Running, 5.0 to 5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 10K | 74.6 | 623 | 767 | 911 | 1054 |
| 12050 | 9.3 | Running, 6-6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 5K | 31.1 | 284 | 350 | 415 | 481 |
| 12050 | 9.3 | Running, 6-6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 10K | 62.2 | 568 | 699 | 830 | 961 |
| 12080 | 11.8 | Running, 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 5K | 24.9 | 288 | 355 | 421 | 488 |
| 12080 | 11.8 | Running, 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 10K | 49.7 | 577 | 710 | 843 | 976 |
| 12120 | 14.8 | Running, 10 mph (6 min/mile) | 5K | 18.6 | 271 | 334 | 396 | 459 |
| 12120 | 14.8 | Running, 10 mph (6 min/mile) | 10K | 37.3 | 542 | 668 | 793 | 918 |
Walking has its own entries
For a walk, calories burned walking a mile gives walking figures by distance and speed. A step count can be converted with the steps to miles calculator.
Treadmills and inclines
The Compendium running list also includes hill and curved treadmill entries. The treadmill calorie calculator with incline entries covers those questions.
The Compendium's cautions about individual estimates
The Compendium page on corrected METs, checked October 11, 2026, says, "The Compendium was not developed to determine the precise energy cost of activities within an individual."
It also says, "It does not correct the MET levels for age, body mass, and sex."
The same page reports that Kozey et al. "found that the standard MET misclassifies the intensity category 12.2% of the time compared to measured MET values with greater misclassification in individuals that are overweight, older, low fit, or women."
The page adds that "neither the standard nor the corrected MET values replace the direct assessment of RMR or energy expenditure and do not remove all error and misclassification identified from direct measurement."
For rides, swims and other calculations
A ride has separate inputs in the cycling calorie calculator by riding activity. Pool entries are in the swimming calorie calculator by stroke. For skips, see calories burned jumping rope.
The active versus total calories calculator separates those measures. The TDEE calculator for a daily energy estimate addresses a full day.
TrueCal is for the food log
TrueCal is a calorie and macro tracker for iPhone, Android and the web. Manual calorie logging is free. Logging from a typed description, voice, a photo or a barcode, and macros, are Pro.
Miles, minutes and estimated entries explained
How many calories does running a mile burn at 160 pounds?
Code 12060, Running, 6.7 mph (9 min/mile), gives about 114 calories for a mile at 160 pounds. The printed pace makes that mile 9 minutes at 10.5 MET.
Why do some running entries accept only minutes?
Those entries print no pace. The calculator needs the pace printed in the entry to turn miles into minutes, so it does not offer miles for them.
What does estimated mean beside a running entry?
The Compendium marks codes 12170 and 12180 in red as estimated MET values.
Does a faster mile always give a higher calorie number?
No. In the one-mile table, codes 12028 at 13 min/mile and 12110 at 6.5 min/mile give the same number in every body weight column.
Compendium pages used for these figures
- Running codes and MET values, checked October 11, 2026.
- MET definition and distance conversions, checked October 11, 2026.
- Corrected METs and measurement limits, checked October 11, 2026.