Mile for mile, walking and running burn almost the same calories. Time for time, running wins.
Most people learn the formula once in school and never touch it again — until life forces them to. Mile for mile, walking and running burn almost the same calories. Time for time, running wins.
Walking burns ~80 kcal/mile, running burns ~100 kcal/mile for a 70 kg adult.
Running burns ~2.5× walking per minute — because you cover more miles per hour.
Walking is sustainable daily; running raises VO2 max and bone density faster.
Does incline matter? Yes — a 10% incline doubles walking burn, approaching running.
What about Zone 2 cardio? Brisk walking often is Zone 2 for untrained adults; running enters Zone 3+.
Whatever number you land on, sanity-check it against a second method or a quick estimate in your head.