What a rowing split actually is
A split is the time it would take to row 500 metres at your current speed. It is
the unit indoor rowing thinks in: not miles per hour, not metres per second, but
how long 500 metres would take. Lower is faster, which catches most people
out at first.
Every Concept2 monitor shows it, every training programme is written in it, and every
erg test is scored on it. This calculator converts between the four things that describe
the same piece of work: distance, time,
split and power. Change any one and the others follow.
Split and watts are the same number
Concept2’s monitors relate pace and power with a fixed formula, published on their
pace calculator:
watts = 2.80 ÷ (split ÷ 500)³, with the split in seconds per 500 m.
Because it is a cube, speed gets expensive quickly. Dropping from 2:00 to 1:55 —
five seconds, a 4% gain in speed — costs 27 extra watts, a 13% increase in power.
That is why the final seconds of a personal best are so much harder to find than the
first ones.
How to use the calculator
- Enter what you know. A distance and a target time, or a distance and a split you can hold.
- Read what you don’t. The split, total time and wattage all update together.
- Push the power up or down by swiping (or arrowing) on the value to see what a few watts is worth in seconds.
- Take the target into a plan. The pace planner will spread it across the pieces of a race.
Three ways rowers use it
Working out a target
You want a 7:15 2K. Enter 2000 m and 7:15 and the calculator returns 1:48.8 per
500 m at 272 W. That is the number to hold, and the number to train at.
Scoring a session you have already done
You rowed 6,000 m in 23:20. The calculator gives you a 1:56.7 average split, which
you can compare with previous 6Ks and with your 2K.
Checking what a change is worth
Two seconds per 500 m sounds trivial. Over a 2K it is eight seconds of finish time,
which is usually the difference between two selection bands.
Common mistakes
- Chasing rate instead of split. Raising the stroke rate without raising power costs energy and returns nothing. The split is what the test is scored on.
- Rowing arms-first. Power comes from legs, then body, then arms. A split that collapses in the second half is usually a sequencing problem before it is a fitness one.
- Comparing splits across distances. A 500 m split and a 10K split describe very different efforts. See split benchmarks.
- Setting a target from nowhere. Base the next goal on your last test, not on a number you saw online.
Frequently asked
What is a good rowing split?
It depends entirely on the distance, and on sex, age and bodyweight. Our
split benchmarks page explains how to read your
own number honestly, including Concept2’s published weight-adjustment formula.
How do I convert split to watts?
Enter the split above and read the power, or use the formula in the section above. Both
give the same answer, because the calculator uses Concept2’s own relationship.
Does drag factor change my split?
The monitor already accounts for drag when it calculates pace, so a given split is the
same amount of work at any damper setting. What changes is how that work feels, and
which muscles fatigue first.
What split do I need for a 2K?
Divide the target time by four. Our 2K erg test guide has a
page per landmark time with the split, the watts and three ways to pace it.
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