Running Questions - Answers
How Many Miles Would it Take to Burn 2000 Calories?
Avatar Jay Black
25 July 2018

Hello there, I’m an avid fan of your site! I was motivated to do some running when my friend lost so much weight in just 3 months. How much would I need to run to burn 2000 calories?

Answer :
Elizabeth Carlson
25 July 2018

Hello! Thanks for stopping in, we love to hear from fans like you!

Running is a terrific option to help you lose a bit (or a lot!) of weight. That is because it is a cardio vascular exercise that gets your heart rate up, your blood flowing, your muscles working, and requires a lot of energy expended to accomplish. When your heart, lungs, muscles, and body have to work together to accomplish such a difficult task (like running), then the body has to rev up its calorie burn to make up for the hard work. When paired with a healthy diet, and plenty of sleep, rest, and recovery, running will help you see fast weight loss results - as well as some added muscle toning and definition.

How many calories you burn while running depends on a variety of factors. First, there is your individual body composition, your weight and height, and a number of genetic factors including your metabolism and your Resting Metabolic Rate (meaning, how many calories your body burns without doing any activity; essentially, it refers to your metabolism and how efficiently it burns calories). Running and exercise in general DOES boost one's metabolism - especially High Intensity Interval Training workouts that include short bursts of speed.

On average, you can estimate that your body will burn between 100 and 120 calories per mile ran. However, that is an AVERAGE, as calorie burn escalates when you run harder and faster, and get your heart rate higher. Therefore, in order to burn 2000 calories, you would need to run roughly 18 miles (give or take a few). That is a lot! And burning 2000 calories all at once might not be the best approach to weight loss through running because it will leave you in such a calorie deficit, that you will likely be too hungry to choose healthy options and end up bingeing and way over eating, putting on even more weight. Start off slow and consistently with your running, aiming to run about 20 miles a week. This will help you keep your diet in check much easier, while still burning extra calories. Soon, you'll see the results you desire!

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