The 500 meter row is the rowing equivalent of a 400 m sprint on the track: roughly 90 seconds of maximal output where pacing still matters more than people expect. It's short enough to demand near-full power from the first stroke, but long enough that flying out at true max pace guarantees a catastrophic fade in the final 150 meters. The 500 m time is also the unit every rower displays as 'split', making your PR here the reference number for all your rowing.
| Level (Time) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 1:55+ | 2:10+ |
| intermediate | 1:40 | 1:55 |
| advanced | 1:30 | 1:43 |
| elite | sub 1:22 | sub 1:34 |
Where does your Row: 500 mt land?
Log it once and the app places you on this table automatically, then tracks the trend.
Attack the first 10 strokes hard at high stroke rate (34-38 spm) to spin the flywheel up, settle into 2-3 seconds above your goal split for the middle 300, then empty everything in the last 150. Power comes from legs-back-arms in that order - rushing the slide kills watts. Strap in tight, damper around 6-8 for most, and drive through the heels. One all-out 500 needs a real warm-up: 5+ minutes with a few 10-stroke bursts.
Beginner: row 500 m at a strong but controlled effort focusing on the legs-back-arms sequence, or do 2x250 m with rest to learn what maximal actually feels like.
Log every result, see your progress over time, and know exactly where you stand.
Free on iOS and Android. No account needed to start.