Calories Burned Running at 6 mph at 75 kg — 735 kcal per Hour
Running at 6 mph at 75 kg (154-176 lb) burns about 735 kcal per hour. That figure comes from the activity's MET value of 9.8 in the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, multiplied by body weight: 9.8 x 75 kg x 1 hour = 735 kcal. This page works the numbers out in full - for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes, across all four weight bands, and against four comparable activities at the same weight - so you can plan sessions with real figures instead of guessing.
Running at 6 mph (9.7 km/h) is a steady, purposeful run — a 10-minute mile, or about 6 minutes 13 seconds per kilometre. You cover 6 miles in an hour, your breathing is deep and rhythmic, and talking is reduced to short phrases. For many regular runners this is the everyday training pace: fast enough to feel like running, slow enough to hold for an hour.
Running at 6 mph suits regular runners, parkrun regulars, and anyone building from a gentle jog toward faster times. The headline number to remember is 735 kcal per hour at 75 kg, or about 368 kcal for a 30-minute run. Everything below is an estimate: MET values are population averages, and your own burn will vary with fitness, running economy and conditions. That does not make the numbers useless — it makes them a planning tool, and a good one, as long as you treat them as approximate.
Calculate your own numbers
Use the running calorie calculator to work out your own burn for running at 6 mph at your exact weight and session length. Enter your weight, pick the activity and set the duration, and the tool applies the same MET formula shown below. You can also try the calorie calculator to see how this session fits into your total daily energy use.
Related pages in this section:
Calories Burned Running at 5 mph at 75 kg — 622 kcal per Hour
Calories Burned Climbing stairs at 75 kg — 660 kcal per Hour
Calories Burned Hiking with a backpack at 75 kg — 548 kcal per Hour
The formula, shown and cited
The standard way to estimate the energy cost of an activity is the MET formula from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011; 43(8): 1575-1581):
Calories (kcal) = MET x body weight (kg) x duration (hours)
One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly at rest - about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 9.8 METs therefore uses 9.8 times as much energy as resting. The Compendium's MET values come from published studies that measured oxygen use during each activity, so they are measured averages, not guesses. The value used here, 9.8, is the one recorded for running at 6 mph in the FitCalc activity data.
Worked through for this page:
- MET for running at 6 mph: 9.8
- Body weight: 75 kg (the midpoint of the 70-80 kg band, 154-176 lb)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calculation: 9.8 x 75 x 1 = 735 kcal
For a 30-minute session the same calculation is 9.8 x 75 x 0.5 = 368 kcal. Nothing else is hidden in the maths - if your weight or duration changes, only those two numbers change.
Your numbers at 75 kg
| Duration | Calculation | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 9.8 x 75 x 0.25 | 184 kcal |
| 30 minutes | 9.8 x 75 x 0.5 | 368 kcal |
| 45 minutes | 9.8 x 75 x 0.75 | 551 kcal |
| 60 minutes | 9.8 x 75 x 1 | 735 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 9.8 x 75 x 1.5 | 1102 kcal |
That is about 12.2 kcal per minute of running at 6 mph at this weight. A short session still counts: even 15 minutes burns 184 kcal, and three 15-minute sessions across a day add up to the same 551 kcal as one 45-minute session.
How the burn changes with body weight
The MET value stays the same - it describes the activity, not the person - but the calorie total scales with weight, because a heavier body costs more energy to move:
| Body weight | Calories per hour | Calories per 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 539 kcal | 270 kcal |
| 65 kg | 637 kcal | 318 kcal |
| 75 kg | 735 kcal | 368 kcal |
| 85 kg | 833 kcal | 417 kcal |
Two people doing the same activity for the same time can therefore burn quite different amounts, and that is expected - it is physics, not a mistake in the formula. If your weight sits between two rows, your figure sits between the two values.
How running at 6 mph compares
Here is running at 6 mph against four other activities at the same 75 kg, all using the same MET formula:
| Activity | MET | Calories per hour at 75 kg |
|---|---|---|
| running at 6 mph | 9.8 | 735 kcal |
| running at 5 mph | 8.3 | 622 kcal |
| climbing stairs | 8.8 | 660 kcal |
| hiking with a backpack | 7.3 | 548 kcal |
| walking at a moderate pace (3 mph) | 3.3 | 248 kcal |
Use this table to choose, not to judge. A higher number means a harder session, not a better one: the activity you enjoy and repeat three times a week beats the activity that burns more per hour but that you quit after a fortnight. Mixing intensities across the week - one harder session, two easier ones - is usually more sustainable than doing the hardest activity every time.
Fitting running at 6 mph into your week
| Sessions per week | 30 minutes each | 60 minutes each |
|---|---|---|
| 2 sessions | 736 kcal | 1470 kcal |
| 3 sessions | 1104 kcal | 2205 kcal |
| 5 sessions | 1840 kcal | 3675 kcal |
At 9.8 METs, running at 6 mph is vigorous-intensity activity, so it counts double toward the widely used adult activity target: 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week is the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate activity. Three 30-minute runs a week give you 90 vigorous minutes and burn about 1104 kcal a week at 75 kg. A typical week might be two 30-minute runs plus one longer run of 45-60 minutes, with rest or easy walking on the other days.
How to use the result
Hold the pace by feel rather than by staring at your watch: at 6 mph you should be breathing hard enough that full sentences are difficult, but not so hard that you are gasping. Keep your cadence quick — around 170-180 steps a minute is a common target for efficient running — with light, short steps landing under your body. Plan one longer run a week, building it by about 10% at a time, and keep the other runs shorter. Run on varied surfaces where you can: grass and trails are kinder to legs than pavement, and they build the small stabilising muscles that road running misses. Replace running shoes roughly every 500-800 km, and keep a rest day after your hardest run of the week. Use the numbers on this page to set realistic expectations rather than to chase a daily total. If you are tracking food as well, add the session's calories to your total daily energy expenditure for that day, and remember that the figure is an estimate with roughly 10-20% uncertainty. Do not eat back every calorie the calculator shows: activity trackers and MET estimates both tend to overstate slightly, and a small margin keeps a weight-loss plan on track. If you are aiming to lose weight, keep the deficit modest - 300-500 kcal a day is a common, sustainable range - and keep your total intake above the safety floors of 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 kcal a day for men unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise.
What the number does NOT tell you
The MET formula is honest about what it measures and silent about the rest. It assumes steady running on level ground at 6 mph, so it does not account for hills, wind, heat, or the surface underfoot — all of which change the real figure. It does not account for your running economy: experienced runners burn fewer calories at the same speed than beginners, because their bodies are more efficient. It does not account for body composition, it does not include the afterburn that follows hard sessions, and it says nothing about fitness, strength or bone density gained. It also cannot tell you whether running is safe for you: if you have a heart condition, joint problems, asthma or any other health concern, check with a healthcare professional before starting a new, intense activity. Use the calorie figure as a planning estimate, and judge the run by how you feel doing it and whether you keep doing it.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn running at 6 mph for 30 minutes at 75 kg?
About 368 kcal. The maths is 9.8 METs x 75 kg x 0.5 hours = 368 kcal. That is an estimate from the Compendium average — your real burn depends on your fitness, your running economy and the terrain. If you weigh more or less than 75 kg, use the weight table above to read your own figure.
How long does it take to run 5k at 6 mph?
About 31 minutes. Five kilometres at 9.66 km/h takes 5 divided by 9.66 hours, which is roughly 31 minutes. That is a solid time for a regular runner and a common parkrun target. The pace calculator works out exact times for any distance and speed.
How many calories do I burn running at 6 mph per mile?
About 122 kcal per mile at 75 kg. A mile at 6 mph takes 10 minutes, so the maths is 9.8 METs x 75 kg x one-sixth of an hour. Per mile is a useful way to compare speeds: faster running burns more per mile as well as per hour, because the MET value rises with speed.
How does running at 6 mph compare with running at 5 mph?
At 75 kg, running at 6 mph burns about 735 kcal per hour against 622 kcal at 5 mph — roughly 18% more. The extra mile per hour costs real energy: the MET value rises from 8.3 to 9.8. If 6 mph feels hard to hold, there is nothing wrong with running most of your miles at 5 mph and adding short faster stretches.
Can running at 6 mph help with weight loss?
It can help, but only as part of an overall calorie deficit. At 75 kg, an hour burns about 735 kcal, which is a strong contribution — roughly the energy in a full meal — but weight loss still comes from the total balance of food and activity across the week, not from one run. Aim for a gradual loss of 0.5-1% of body weight per week, and never drop below 1,200 kcal a day (women) or 1,500 kcal a day (men) without medical supervision.
Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men - consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.