Rowing Pace Converter

About this calculator

Rowing machines (ergs) measure effort with a 500 m split — the time it would take to cover 500 metres at your current pace — and convert that split into power output using the widely adopted Concept2 formula: watts = 2.80 divided by the split time in seconds per metre, cubed. Because the relationship is cubic, small changes in split time swing your wattage dramatically — shaving just a few seconds off a 2:00 split produces a much bigger jump in watts than the same shave off a 1:40 split.

Rowers use this conversion to set training zones by power rather than time, compare erg scores across different distances and durations on a common scale, and translate a coach’s wattage target into the split time they need to hold on the monitor.

This calculator takes your 500 m split and returns both the equivalent power output in watts and your boat speed.