How We Compare
Walking MET at 5 km/h ≈ 3.5; running MET at 10 km/h ≈ 9.8.
Both scale with body weight: Calories = MET × kg × hours.
Distance-normalised, running burns ~50% more calories than walking because the flight phase requires extra vertical work.
Per-minute vs per-km
Per-minute running dominates — nearly 3× walking's burn. Per-km the gap narrows to ~50% because running covers the same distance in half the time.
Joint impact
Running loads joints at ~2.5× body weight per step vs ~1.2× for walking. If you're heavier or returning from injury, brisk walking with incline mimics running's cardio without impact.
Sustainability
Adherence studies show walkers stick with programs ~40% longer than beginner runners. Total calories burned over months often favours walking simply because more sessions happen.
Walking vs Running per 5 km
| Weight | Walk 5 km kcal | Run 5 km kcal | Diff | Time diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 192 | 288 | +96 | +30 min walking |
| 70 kg | 245 | 368 | +123 | +30 min walking |
| 80 kg | 280 | 420 | +140 | +30 min walking |
| 90 kg | 315 | 473 | +158 | +30 min walking |
| 100 kg | 350 | 525 | +175 | +30 min walking |
Walking MET 3.5 @ 5 km/h; running MET 9.8 @ 10 km/h.
How we calculate this (worked example)
Every figure on this page is produced by the same calculation engine as the calculator above — no hardcoded numbers. Here is the full arithmeticfor 10,000 steps at 70 kg (154 lbs), moderate pace, flat ground.
- Distance: 10,000 steps × 0.74 m ÷ 1,000 = 7.40 km (4.60 miles)
- Walking time: 7.40 km ÷ 5 km/h × 60 = 1h 29m (89 minutes)
- Calories: 3.8 MET × 70 kg × 3.5 ÷ 200 × 89 min = 413 kcal
- Per step: 413 kcal ÷ 10,000 steps = 0.041 kcal per step
10,000 steps by body weight
| Body weight | Distance | Walking time | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg (121 lbs) | 7.40 km (4.60 mi) | 1h 29m | 325 kcal |
| 70 kg (154 lbs) | 7.40 km (4.60 mi) | 1h 29m | 413 kcal |
| 85 kg (187 lbs) | 7.40 km (4.60 mi) | 1h 29m | 502 kcal |
| 100 kg (220 lbs) | 7.40 km (4.60 mi) | 1h 29m | 591 kcal |
Distance and time are identical across weights (7.4 km at 0.74 m stride) because only energy expenditure scales with body mass.
Definitions
- Step
- One single footfall. Two steps make one full stride cycle, so a pedometer counting 10,000 steps records 5,000 complete left-right cycles.
- Stride length
- The horizontal distance covered by one step, measured heel-to-heel. We use 0.74 m (2.43 ft) as the average adult value, or 0.415 × height in cm for men and 0.413 × height for women.
- Walking distance
- Steps × stride length. Distance in kilometres = (steps × stride in metres) ÷ 1,000; miles = kilometres × 0.621371.
- Calories burned
- Total (gross) energy expenditure estimated with the MET equation: kcal = MET × weight (kg) × 3.5 ÷ 200 × minutes. Unmodified level walking at 3.1 mph (5 km/h) uses 3.8 MET from the 2024 Adult Compendium, code 17190, matching the walking planner and calorie comparison. The equation's 3.5 is the oxygen-conversion constant, not the walking MET. Distinct terrain, incline and fitness options retain their separately scoped legacy heuristics.
- Walking time
- Distance ÷ walking speed. At the 5 km/h baseline, one kilometre takes 12 minutes and one mile takes about 19 minutes.
- Cadence
- Steps per minute. A moderate 5 km/h pace corresponds to roughly 100–110 steps per minute; brisk walking is 120+ steps per minute.
Assumptions and rounding rules
| Parameter | Default | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Stride length | 0.74 m (2.43 ft) | Average adult; overridden by your height or entered stride |
| Walking pace | 5 km/h (3.1 mph) | Moderate, flat ground; reduced 20% on hills and 30% on trails |
| MET value | 3.80 | Flat terrain, moderate fitness; +0.1 MET per 1% incline |
| Body weight | 70 kg (154 lbs) | Reference weight for examples; your input replaces it |
| Distance rounding | 2 decimals (km and miles) | Rounded for display only — full precision is used in the maths |
| Calorie rounding | Nearest whole kcal | Rounded at the last step, never mid-calculation |
| Step rounding | Nearest whole step | Reverse calculations round to the nearest integer step |
Limitations
- All results are estimates, not measurements. MET-based calorie models typically fall within ±10–20% of indirect calorimetry for an individual.
- Individual differences in gait efficiency, age, body composition and fitness change actual energy cost at the same speed.
- Terrain, surface softness, wind and altitude are only partly captured by the terrain and incline settings.
- Stride length varies with pace, footwear and fatigue; a single average stride cannot represent a whole walk.
- Pedometers and phone accelerometers miscount steps by roughly 5–15%, especially at slow speeds or when carried in a bag.
- Figures describe total (gross) energy during the walk, including resting metabolism. Activity-related (active) energy subtracts 1 MET of resting expenditure for the same duration. Gross and active calories are two views of the same walk, not amounts to add together; do not count the resting portion again in a daily energy budget.
Method: stride-based distance plus the MET equation from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.). Results are estimates — see our estimation disclaimer.
Key takeaway
Running burns more calories per unit time; walking usually wins over months because it's easier to keep doing. The best plan is the one you'll still be doing in 6 months.
Want your exact number?
Real-Life Scenarios
The time-crunched exerciser
Running wins — same distance in half the time and more calories.
The 90 kg beginner
Walking wins — same cardio zone reachable with lower joint load. Add incline before adding pace.
The daily commuter
Walk-to-work covers steps you'd otherwise pay a gym for. Adherence beats intensity.
In summary: Running burns more calories per unit time; walking usually wins over months because it's easier to keep doing. The best plan is the one you'll still be doing in 6 months.