Rowing vs Running: Which One is a More Effective Workout? Running can be more powerful than rowing because you’ll burn more calories by running instead of rowing. The amount of calories burned depends on the degree of pressure (and many other factors, including your size). These are the ranges; According to a report regarding rowing vs running, by rowing, you can burn 158 calories in 30 minutes with an average of 40 strokes per minute with 3-4 knots, And by running, you can burn 181 calories in 30 minutes with an average speed of 5mph.