SkiErg & RowErg 1000m Pacing: Split Targets That Save Your Legs for the Next Run

The SkiErg and RowErg look like the easy stations. You're not carrying anything, nobody is judging your reps, and the screen tells you exactly how fast you're going. That's precisely why so many people blow up on them. It's easy to chase a number in the first 200 meters and then spend the next run wondering why your legs feel like concrete.

This guide is about choosing a split you can actually hold, and keeping enough in the tank that the run out of the station feels normal.

Start with a fresh 1000m test

Once a month, do a fresh 1000m time trial on each erg after a proper warm-up. Write down the average /500m split. That number is your ceiling, not your race pace. On race day you'll be arriving with a hard kilometer already in your legs and a full race still ahead.

As a rule of thumb, add about 8 to 12 seconds per 500m to your fresh test for the SkiErg, and about 6 to 10 seconds for the RowErg. Newer racers should sit at the slower end of that range. If you're chasing a podium in your age group, test the faster end in a full simulation before you commit to it.

The first 200 meters decide everything

Your heart rate lags behind your effort. For the first 30 to 40 seconds, a pace that's far too fast still feels fine. By the time your watch catches up, the damage is done. Pick your target split before you walk into the station and hold it from the very first pull, even if it feels almost too easy.

A simple cue that works: count your first 10 strokes calmly, check the screen, and adjust. Don't look at the person next to you.

SkiErg: use your hips, spare your arms

On the ski, the power should come from a hip hinge and a small knee bend, with your arms finishing the stroke near your thighs. If your triceps and lats are on fire halfway through, you're pulling with your arms. Stand a little taller, let the handles rise fully overhead, and drop your body weight into each pull.

Stroke rate for most people lands somewhere between 40 and 50 strokes per minute at race effort. Long, heavy strokes at a lower rate tend to be cheaper on the heart than a frantic fast rate.

RowErg: leg drive first, and don't crank the damper

The row is the only station where you get to sit down, which tempts people to treat it as a rest. It isn't. But it also isn't the place to win the race. Keep the damper around 4 to 6, drive with your legs, then swing your body back, then finish with the arms. Recover in the opposite order.

A stroke rate of roughly 24 to 30 per minute is a comfortable race range for most hybrid athletes. If your split drops as soon as you raise the rate, your stroke is getting short. Slow the rate down and lengthen the drive.

Practice the transition, not just the erg

The real test is the first 300 meters of running after you climb off. Build workouts that pair them directly, for example 4 rounds of 500m SkiErg at race split straight into a 1km run at goal pace, with 2 minutes easy between rounds. You'll learn quickly whether your planned split leaves your legs ready to run.

Wear something that doesn't trap heat for these sessions. Our Dry-Pace Threshold Tech Tee is a lightweight option, and if you train in a cold garage, the Erg Doesn't Care How You Feel Fleece Hoodie is made for warm-ups before you peel it off. Keep fluids close with the insulated shaker bottle.

A simple race-day plan

Before the race, write two numbers on your hand or set them on your watch: your SkiErg target split and your RowErg target split. Hold them, finish each station feeling like you could do another 200m, and let the runs be where you make up time. The athletes who look smooth on the erg screens are usually the ones who look smooth on the last kilometer too.