Rowing calculator
Concept2 pace calculator
Turn any erg piece into your 500 m split, watts and calories — then see the equivalent time at every standard distance, including a 2k prediction. Free, instant, no sign-up.
Equivalent times by distance
| Distance | Time | Split / 500 m |
|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 1:37 | 1:37 |
| 1,000 m | 3:21 | 1:41 |
| 2,000 m | 7:00 | 1:45 |
| 5,000 m | 18:29 | 1:51 |
| 6,000 m | 22:26 | 1:52 |
| 10,000 m | 38:33 | 1:56 |
Erg splits move when the training sits at the right intensity — the coach builds the week around your 2k.
What this calculator does
Every Concept2 monitor reports pace as a 500 m split — the time it would take you to row 500 m at your current effort. This converts any piece into that split, into watts, and into the calorie figure the monitor shows, then projects your time at 500 m, 1k, 2k, 5k, 6k and 10k. The 2k is the one most people want: it is the standard race distance and the number on the Concept2 rankings.
Split, watts and calories
Watts come from Concept2's own formula, watts = 2.80 ÷ pace³, where pace is seconds per metre. Because it depends only on pace, the same split gives the same watts on every machine at any damper setting — the drag factor changes how the effort feels, not what it measures. Calories use Concept2's rate, kcal/hour = (watts × 4 × 0.8604) + 300.
Why the calorie number flatters you
That +300 is a resting-metabolism offset, added so the monitor keeps counting calories when you stop pulling. It means calories are not proportional to power: an easy paddle earns calories at a rate your actual work does not justify, and short pieces look better than they are. Compare watts between sessions, not calories.
Predicting other distances
Times are scaled by Paul's Law, which says your time rises with distance to the power 1.06. Stated for a single doubling, that is the rule most rowers already know: add about five seconds to your 500 m split every time the distance doubles. Predictions assume you race each distance equally well, so a strong 2k rower with no endurance base will beat their predicted 10k on paper only.