If you are looking for an exercise to help you to lose weight and burn off some extra calories, running will put you on the right track!
Running a 10K (10 kilometres or 6.2 miles) is a popular choice amongst both beginners and experienced runners, due to the distance having a good balance between being challenging and achievable.
So how much can you hope to treat yourself after crossing the finish line? On average a 10K run will burn around 600 calories (around 100 calories per mile).
However, to find out a more accurate figure and to better plan your workouts to maximise your calorie burn, you will need to take a few things into account.
Do you know your daily calorie target?
I can calculate the calories you need to burn each day to reach your fitness goals for FREE. Did you know that 1 lb of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories? That means you need to have a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day.
Mark Truluck, Online Fitness Coach
Calculating your calorie burn
The number of calories you will burn when running a 10K will depend mainly on your current body weight and the intensity of your run.
As a general rule, the faster you run the more calories you will burn over a set distance, in this case, 6.2 miles.
For example, a 150lb person running at 10km per hour will burn roughly 650 calories over a distance of 10 kilometres, whereas someone weighing 160 lbs running at the same pace will burn around 745 calories.
You can use our 10k run calories burned calculator to get an accurate number for the number of calories you burn whilst running, based on your body weight, running time and distance.
If you prefer tracking the calories you burn while you’re running, consider investing in a fitness watch.
If you are looking to increase your calorie burn over the 10K distance, running faster and on varied terrain or steeper incline will increase the level of exertion in your workout, and therefore the number of calories you burn.
There are also a number of fitness apps available that can help you track your daily calorie intake and burn, so you can more successfully manage your weight.
How can I burn more calories running a 10K?
If you are running because you want to lose weight, you’ll probably want to do everything you can to maximise the number of calories you burn when you run.
Here are a few ways you can make sure you’re torching those calories and really feeling the difference:
Don’t forget nutrition
There’s a well known saying that ‘you can’t outrun a bad diet’, and it’s no lie!
In order to lose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit, meaning that you need to be burning more calories than you are eating.
All too often people will start running to lose weight, but overdo it on the pre or post run snacks.
Pay close attention to the number of calories you burn on your run, using an app or fitness tracker, and be careful not to eat them all back once you get home.
It can sometimes be useful to consider a post-workout protein shake to help kill the hunger after a workout – with the additional benefits of helping tired muscles recover more quickly.
Try varied terrains
An effective way to increase the calories you burn whilst running is to run on routes that have a good mix of hills and terrains.
Your muscles have to work harder to push you up steeper inclines and adapt to running on different ground.
Try signing up for a 10K with a course that’s a little outside your usual comfort zone.
Speed it up
Adding bursts of speed into your training is a great way to torch some extra calories. Add intervals of high-intensity sprints with your usual comfortable running pace.
Running faster uses more oxygen and energy, therefore burning more calories. This is also a great way to improve your running time.
