Run That Race! Distance Versus Pace

Introduction

For the first time in history, a person has run a marathon in under two hours! (1) We crunched some numbers to estimate how many calories were burned and to offer some interesting comparisons.

Discussion

Someone that runs a marathon in just under 2 hours, at a pace of about 4.5 minutes per mile, would burn about 3,200 calories (see blue line in table below). You might assume that running at a slower pace would result in fewer calories burned, but the reality is that you can slowly jog or run a marathon at a non-heroic pace and still burn about the same number of calories and, in some cases, burn even more.

Referring to the table below, running a marathon at a pace of 9 minutes per mile on average burns about 3,300 calories (see green line in table 1) which is 100 calories more than running at the world record pace. Even at a walking pace, people still burn about 80% of the calories over the course of a marathon as those who jog or run (see purple lines in table 1).

Covering the distance of a marathon, whether walking, jogging, running or nearly sprinting, results in burning enough calories just under the average amount needed to burn one pound of fat, which is estimated at 3,500 calories. Therefore, a typical person would almost certainly lose weight on the day of a marathon, considering that most people typically have a daily intake of around 2,000 to 2,500 calories.

Conclusion

The main factor which determines your caloric burn when walking, jogging, or running, is the distance covered, not the pace. Although it may take you longer to cross the finish line, you will still produce similar results in terms of The Difference in weight change.

We invite you to use The Difference to keep track of your activity as part of achieving your weight management goals. Please email us at Info@TheDifferenceApp.com for more information, or join our mailing list.