RowErg pace calculator
Enter your /500m split to calculate watts, Calories/hour and finish times. How does it work?
Understanding RowErg pace and watts
Concept2's PM5 monitor reports pace as a split — time per 500 metres — rather than power directly, but every split corresponds to an exact wattage via a fixed, publicly documented formula (power scales with the cube of speed). This calculator applies that same formula so you can quickly convert between the two, compare effort levels, and see what a target split works out to for a 2K test, 5K piece, or any other distance.
Enter your /500m split and a distance to see the resulting power output, Calories/hour, projected finish times across common piece lengths, and cumulative splits for pacing a longer row.
Training on more than one erg? BikeErg pace calculator and SkiErg pace calculator use the same PM5 watts formula, so your effort translates directly across machines.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert RowErg pace to watts?
- Enter your /500m split (e.g. 2:00) and the calculator applies Concept2's official PM5 power formula: watts = 2.8 / (split seconds per metre)³. A 2:00/500m split (0.24 s/m) works out to roughly 202 watts.
- What is a good RowErg pace?
- It depends heavily on experience and piece length. For recreational men, breaking 7:00 for a 2000m test — splits under 1:45/500m — is a common, satisfying milestone. Competitive club-level men typically fall in the 6:15–6:45 range (roughly 1:34–1:41/500m), while national/international rowers are usually under 6:00 (sub-1:30/500m). For reference, the men's 2000m world record — 5:34.7, set by Oliver Zeidler in 2026 — averages 1:23.7/500m (see Concept2's official records page).
- How does the calculator estimate Calories per hour?
- It uses the same formula Concept2's PM5 monitor displays on-screen: a 300 Cal/h baseline at 0 watts, plus roughly 4 Cal/h for every extra watt, then adjusted for a 175 lb (79.4 kg) reference bodyweight. Actual calorie burn varies with your own body weight and efficiency.
- Why does RowErg use /500m instead of /km like running?
- Concept2 standardized on 500m splits because it closely matches the length of a rowing stroke cycle at race pace and lines up with world rowing's traditional 2,000m race distance (four 500m splits). It has stuck as the universal convention across rowing ergometers.