Before you head out on your daily run its always fun to know how much running you will need to do to burn 500 calories. Your time and distance will change slightly depending if you chose to run outdoors vs on a treadmill.
The average person runs at a speed of 6mph (10-minute miles) and would need to run for around 30 minutes or a distance of 3 miles to burn 500 calories. However, it depends on the person’s intensity level (speed), weight and fitness level.
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How Much Running to Burn 500 Calories (Time & Distance)
If you’re looking to burn 500 calories in the shortest amount of time possible, running at a high intensity is going to be your best bet. But this will be challenging even for the best runners and will be difficult to maintain for consecutive days.
However, if you’re just starting or are not used to running long distances, you may want to start with a lower intensity and gradually work your way up.
The table below gives you an average time it takes to burn 500 calories depending on how fast you run. Obviously, its easier to maintain your speed on a treadmill vs outdoor running so these times could vary slightly.
| Weight In pounds | Time For Light Intensity (5mph) | Time For Moderate Intensity (6mph) | Time For High Intensity (8mph) |
| 160lbs | 51 minutes | 41 minutes | 30 minute |
| 170lbs | 49 minutes | 39 minutes | 29 minutes |
| 180lbs | 46 minutes | 36 minutes | 27 minutes |
| 190lbs | 43 minutes | 35 minutes | 26 minutes |
| 200lbs | 41 minutes | 33 minutes | 24 minutes |
| 210lbs | 39 minutes | 31 minutes | 23 minutes |
| 220lbs | 37 minutes | 30 minutes | 22 minutes |
| 230lbs | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 21 minutes |
| 240lbs | 34 minutes | 27 minutes | 20 minutes |
The amount of running in the distance you would need to cover to burn 500 calories is around 3 miles or 5km. However, it’s easier to run on a treadmill than outdoors if you are looking for a faster time. To discover the average time to run 3 miles for your age and gender, read this post.
Furthermore, the amount of incline you run on also increases or decreases the number of calories you burn. So if you want to make it even more challenging, consider running on an incline, but you won’t need to run as many miles to achieve your 500 calories target. To find out what incline is best to burn 500 calories the quickest, read this post.
How Much Weight Can You Lose?
If you run every day and burn 500 calories during the run, you would burn around 1 pounds each week. The reason, it takes approximately 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of body fat. Therefore, you would be burning a pound of body fat week if you ran every day without changing your diet or eating fewer calories.
If you want to consistently burn 500 calories per day through running, it is important that you mix up your routine. This means running at different speeds and intensities to avoid hitting a plateau. It is also important to focus on proper nutrition and recovery so that you can perform your best and avoid injury.
Lastly, make sure to listen to your body and give yourself rest days when needed. Therefore should you run 5km every day?
Can I Burn 500 Calories Running in 30 Minutes?
To burn 500 calories in 30 minutes of running, you would need to cover around 3 miles (5km) and runs at a constant speed of 6mph. It is possible to burn 500 calories running in 30 minutes, but it really depends on the individual.
If you are a beginner, it will be difficult to sustain high intensity for that long. However, if you are more experienced, you may be able to maintain a high intensity for the entire 30 minutes.
The best way to find out is to gradually increase your running time and speed until you are able to sustain high intensity for the entire 30 minutes. How long does it take to run 5km on a treadmill? Find out here.
It is important to note that burning 500 calories in 30 minutes is a very demanding workout and should not be attempted by beginners. If you are just starting out, it is best to start with a lower intensity and gradually work your way up.
How Many Minutes Should I Jog to Burn 500 Calories?
On average, it takes between 51 and 31 minutes to burn 500 calories from jogging. A person that weighs 180 lbs would need to jog for 46 minutes to burn 500 calories, but an individual that weighs 220 lbs would only need to jog for 39 minutes.
The time it takes to burn 500 calories from jogging depends on a few factors such as weight, intensity, and duration. The heavier you are, the shorter time it will take to burn 500 calories because you have more mass that needs to be moved, so you burn more calories.
Similarly, the higher the intensity of your jog, the less time it will take to burn 500 calories. But the average speed for a jog is around 6kph or 3.7mph. Anything slower would be considered a very fast walk, and anything over 7kph is regarded as a run.
The table below gives you the time you need to jog for to burn 500 calories depending on your weight.
| Body Weight | Time to Burn 500 Calories Jogging |
| 160lbs | 51 minutes |
| 170lbs | 48 minutes |
| 180lbs | 46 minutes |
| 190lbs | 43 minutes |
| 200lbs | 42 minutes |
| 210lbs | 40 minutes |
| 220lbs | 39 minutes |
| 230lbs | 37 minutes |
| 240lbs | 35 minutes |
| 250lbs | 31 minutes |
How Much Running to Burn 500 Calories Summary
On average its takes around 30 minutes to burn 500 calories from running which is roughly 3 miles or 5km in distance. Burning 500 calories every day is a great way to lose weight and burn fat in a healthy way without overtraining or dieting too hard.
Of course, the time it takes to burn 500 calories will vary from person to person depending on their weight and intensity but generally speaking, its around 30 minutes.
If you are just starting out, make sure to gradually increase your intensity and distance to avoid injury. And as always, make sure to focus on proper nutrition and recovery to perform your best.