People ask me how to pace a 2k erg all the time. My honest answer is that I negative split, and it worked for me. But everyone's different, and the best pacing plan is the one that suits your body and that you've practised before the day.
How I paced my best 2k
My best 2k was 5:45, and it was a negative split. Each 500 was the same pace or quicker than the one before.
| 500 | Split |
|---|---|
| First 500 | 1:27 |
| Second 500 | 1:27 |
| Third 500 | 1:26 |
| Last 500 | 1:25 |
The idea was to get through the first half under control and come into the 1k with something left.
"Trying to get to the 1K, feeling like you've got a little bit more to give."
That's always the way I found 2ks went best for my physiology. I broke six for the first time and after that I was always under six, and I ran most of those the same way.
Everyone's different, so find what suits you
This is the important bit. A negative split was best for me. It isn't automatically best for you.
"Sometimes a flat split is best, and other times you're more sprint-orientated."
There are roughly three ways to do it:
- Negative split. Hold back a touch early and get quicker through the second 1k. That was me.
- Flat split. Pick your target and sit on it the whole way. Some rowers go best this way.
- Sprint-orientated. Burst out of the first 500, pace yourself through the middle, and bring it home hard in the last 500.
It just depends on the person. Try them in training and be honest about which one gives you your best number.
The middle is where it's won and lost
When the Kiwi eight got back together for the Head of the Charles, someone asked us how we trained for such a strong sprint. The truth is we didn't really want to rely on a sprint. There's a statistic that whoever leads the first 500 generally wins the race, but for us the middle 500 is where races are won and lost. We came through around the 750, and we didn't speed up at the end.
"We just slowed down less."
A 2k erg works the same way. Whatever plan you pick, the third 500 is where it hurts and where people fall apart. The prep you do before the test is what gets you ready for that bit.
How to practise your 2k pace
Pacing isn't something you work out on the day. Decide what your target pace is, then practise it over and over in the weeks before.
My go-to was 500m on, 2 minutes off, x 6, at exactly your target pace. Not faster, not slower.
"Find a rhythm where it feels sustainable."
If you're on the sixth one and still holding your splits, that's a big confidence boost. The other session I did before every big 2k was a 3 x 2k with each 500 a set number of seconds off target, which teaches you to sit on a split you've chosen. Both are laid out in the two erg sessions I did before every big 2k, and the full set of prep workouts, with when to do them, is in the PREP download.
When people bomb a 2k test, the training is usually fine. What goes is confidence and composure when the pressure comes on. Knowing your pace because you've already held it is how you build both. If your head's the problem, read how to get your head right before a race or a 2k.
Common mistakes
- Copying someone else's plan. My negative split suited my physiology. Yours might want a flat split or a fast start.
- Practising the wrong pace. In your prep sessions, row your target pace. Not faster, not slower.
- Letting the middle go. Most of the race is decided through the middle. Slow down less than everyone else.
- Turning up cold. Get properly warmed up on the split you're trying to hold. Here's the exact warm-up before my 5:45.
If you want to see how my times came down over the years, here are my 2k erg scores by age, and there's more on testing in the erg and testing guides.
Send this to a Meataxe in your crew who needs to go faster on their 2k.
More from Shaun on this
Read the transcript
What did you all practice and focus on in order to execute such a strong sprint? We did have a sprint, kind of, but we didn't want to rely on it. You know like I doubt we sped up in the last 250. This is a statistic around like whoever leads the first 500 generally wins the race, but we came through around the 750 and that's like where the races are like won and lost is that middle 500. But we didn't speak up, we just slowed down less. Yeah we slowed down less.
