Rowing Machine NerdRowing Pace Chart
This rowing pace chart converts every 500m split into the numbers that matter: power in watts, speed, calories per hour, and the time you'd post over 2k, 5k, and 10k at that pace. Find your split in the left column and read across - it's the fastest way to turn a pace into race times and training targets. Every value is computed from the Concept2 formulas, so it always agrees with our calculators.
| Split /500m | Watts | km/h | Cal/hr | 2k | 5k | 10k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:25 | 570 | 21.2 | 2261 | 5:40 | 14:10 | 28:20 |
| 1:30 | 480 | 20.0 | 1952 | 6:00 | 15:00 | 30:00 |
| 1:35 | 408 | 18.9 | 1705 | 6:20 | 15:50 | 31:40 |
| 1:40 | 350 | 18.0 | 1505 | 6:40 | 16:40 | 33:20 |
| 1:45 | 302 | 17.1 | 1341 | 7:00 | 17:30 | 35:00 |
| 1:50 | 263 | 16.4 | 1205 | 7:20 | 18:20 | 36:40 |
| 1:55 | 230 | 15.7 | 1092 | 7:40 | 19:10 | 38:20 |
| 2:00 | 203 | 15.0 | 997 | 8:00 | 20:00 | 40:00 |
| 2:05 | 179 | 14.4 | 917 | 8:20 | 20:50 | 41:40 |
| 2:10 | 159 | 13.8 | 848 | 8:40 | 21:40 | 43:20 |
| 2:15 | 142 | 13.3 | 790 | 9:00 | 22:30 | 45:00 |
| 2:20 | 128 | 12.9 | 739 | 9:20 | 23:20 | 46:40 |
| 2:25 | 115 | 12.4 | 695 | 9:40 | 24:10 | 48:20 |
| 2:30 | 104 | 12.0 | 657 | 10:00 | 25:00 | 50:00 |
| 2:35 | 94 | 11.6 | 623 | 10:20 | 25:50 | 51:40 |
On narrow screens, km/h, calories, and 10k are hidden to keep the table readable - view on a wider screen for the full chart.
How to use the pace chart
Your 500m split is the master pacing number on a rowing monitor: the time it would take to row 500m at your current pace. Because power rises with the cube of speed, equal-looking drops in split demand sharply more effort - going from 2:00 to 1:50 is roughly 30% more watts, not 8%. The chart makes those trade-offs concrete, and lets you set a realistic target split for any distance.
Turn a split into a workout
Once you know the pace you can hold, build sessions around it. See our guides to rowing split times and pacing a faster 2k, check how your time ranks with the 2k percentile calculator, or convert a single pace in detail with the pace calculator.
References
- Pace and Watts Calculators - Concept2
- Calorie Information (how the monitor calculates calories) - Concept2
- Understanding Splits - Concept2
Frequently asked questions
- How do I read a rowing pace chart?
- Find your 500m split in the left column and read across for the equivalent power (watts), speed, calories per hour, and the time you'd post over 2k, 5k, and 10k at that pace. It's the fastest way to translate a pace into race times and targets.
- What 500m split should I aim for?
- It depends on the distance and your fitness. As a rough guide, recreational rowers hold around 2:00-2:15 /500m for a 2k; trained rowers go under 2:00. Use the chart to see what a target split means across every distance, then check our 2k calculator for context.
Jordan Lockwood (BSc, CPT)
Certified personal trainer (CPT), sports-science graduate, and lifelong rower. Jordan writes and reviews every guide on Rowing Machine Nerd.