SnapCalorieBurn — free MET-based calorie calculators
How many calories does a 15-minute run burn? See exact estimates by weight and pace, from jogging to fast running.
Running for 15 minutes burns approximately 130–240 calories at moderate pace, making it one of the most time-efficient exercises available.
Fifteen minutes of running covers roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at a 6 mph pace. Short runs are also psychologically easier to commit to, making them excellent for building a consistent running habit.
A 15-minute run at moderate pace burns roughly 2.5 times the calories of a 15-minute walk. It's comparable to 25 minutes of moderate cycling or 20 minutes of swimming. For pure time efficiency, only high-intensity activities like sprinting or competitive swimming match running's calorie-per-minute output.
Short runs are perfect for busy schedules. If you're new to running, start with 15 minutes as your base duration and gradually increase from there.
Direct answer: 15 minutes of running burns an estimated 137–242 calories, depending on body weight (180 lb / 82 kg: ~191 kcal). Intensity assumed: Moderate (6 mph, 10 min/mile) (MET 9.3). This is an estimate, not a measurement.
| Body weight | Calories burned |
|---|---|
| 130 lb (59 kg) | ~137 cal |
| 155 lb (70 kg) | ~163 cal |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | ~191 cal |
| 205 lb (93 kg) | ~216 cal |
| 230 lb (104 kg) | ~242 cal |
Example: At MET 9.3, a 180 lb (82 kg) person doing 15 minutes of running burns approximately 191 calories: 9.3 × 82 × 0.25 h ≈ 191 kcal.
There is no single universal calorie figure for this activity. At 180 lb (82 kg) and the same 15 minutes:
| Style / effort | MET | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Jogging (5 mph, 12 min/mile) | 8.5 | ~174 cal |
| Fast (7 mph, 8.5 min/mile) | 11 | ~226 cal |
| Very fast (8 mph, 7.5 min/mile) | 12 | ~246 cal |
| Race pace (10 mph, 6 min/mile) | 14.8 | ~303 cal |
An estimated 137–242 calories, depending on body weight. A 180 lb (82 kg) person burns about 191 kcal, calculated as MET 9.3 × 82 kg × 0.25 hours.
About 12.7 kcal per minute for a 180 lb (82 kg) person, or 2.3 kcal per kilogram of body weight across the whole session.
Because the MET formula scales directly with body mass: a 130 lb person burns about 137 kcal here versus 242 kcal for a 230 lb person — a 77% spread for the identical session.
From the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference database of measured MET intensities for physical activities. Every figure on this page uses that value in the formula Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours).
They are estimates from population averages, not measurements. Individual results commonly land within about ±15% of the figure shown; actual intensity and pace, body composition and fitness, terrain and technique all shift the real number. The values are gross calories, so they include the energy you would have burned at rest.
Open the running calorie calculator to enter your own weight, intensity and duration.