Most runners burn about 300 to 400 calories running a 5K. A 70 kg runner burns about 350 calories. Body weight and distance decide most of the total, not pace.

Top pages give a range but often skip the formula, or they give two formulas that seem to disagree. This guide shows both formulas, checks them against each other, and gives a table by weight so you can find your own number without a calculator.

Use the simple rule first. Running burns roughly 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per kilometre. Multiply weight by distance: a 60 kg runner times 5 kilometres equals 300 calories. A 70 kg runner times 5 equals 350 calories. An 80 kg runner times 5 equals 400 calories. A 90 kg runner times 5 equals 450 calories.

Worked example: check the simple rule with the MET formula. A 70 kg runner at a 10-minute-mile pace runs for about 31 minutes at 9.3 METs. Calories per minute equal 9.3 times 3.5 times 70 divided by 200, which is 11.39 calories per minute. Multiply by 31 minutes and you get 353 calories, rounded. That matches the simple rule's 350 calories within 3 calories.

Pace changes the total less than most runners expect. Running faster burns more calories per minute, but the run lasts fewer minutes. Running slower burns fewer calories per minute, but the run lasts longer. Over a fixed 5K distance, the two effects largely cancel out, so pace moves the total by roughly 10 to 15 percent, not by half.

Hills, heat, wind, and terrain push the number up, because they add effort for the same distance. A running watch adds its own error, because watches estimate from heart rate and movement rather than measuring energy directly. Treat any single number as an estimate with a range around it, not as an exact receipt.

Use the table for planning, not for strict diet maths. A 60 kg runner burns about 300 calories. A 70 kg runner burns about 350 calories. An 80 kg runner burns about 400 calories. A 90 kg runner burns about 450 calories. If you weigh between two rows, pick the nearer row or average the two numbers.

Do not chase the burn by running on empty or skipping recovery food. A 5K is a moderate workout, not a licence to eat back double the estimate. Water, a normal meal, and rest matter more than exact calorie counting for a beginner runner.

Q: How many calories does a 5K burn for a 70 kg runner?

A: About 350 calories. Multiply 70 kg by 5 kilometres to get 350, and the MET formula gives about 353 calories for the same runner.

Q: Does running faster burn more calories over 5K?

A: Only slightly. Faster running burns more per minute but lasts fewer minutes, so the total over a fixed 5K changes by roughly 10 to 15 percent.

Q: How many calories do you burn per kilometre running?

A: Roughly 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per kilometre. A 70 kg runner burns about 70 calories per kilometre.

Q: Are running watch calorie numbers exact?

A: No. Watches estimate from heart rate and movement. Treat the number as a range, not an exact measurement.