In competitive rowing, ergometer tests are used to assess fitness of athletes and the 2000m test is the standard. The ability to generate power is dependent on body weight. The exact relation between body weight and power depends on more factors and the relation to boat speed is even more complicated: see Physics of Rowing. However, the formula made popular by C2 is generally accepted as a measure of fitness.
Below is a graph where lines connect points of equal fitness. It is generated by the R code in this repository.
The table below estimates 500m split times for popular distances and intensity levels. The table shows both absolute 500m splits and splits relative to the split for a 30 minute at rate 20 ("30R20") workout. These splits should be considered just a starting point. The estimation might not be correct and individual physiology varies - some people are better sprinters than endurance athletes and vice versa. Especially on the fast end athletes will know their times and splits and would not have to rely on this table.
| 2k | 2k/500 | 2k/500 | 5k | 5k/500 | 5k/500 | 30R20/500 | UT1/500 | UT1/500 | UT2/500 | UT2/500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00.0 | 01:30.0 | -10.0 | 15:59.6 | 01:36.0 | -4.0 | 01:40.0 | 01:43.9 | 3.9 | 01:49.8 | 9.9 |
| 06:05.0 | 01:31.2 | -10.0 | 16:12.9 | 01:37.3 | -4.0 | 01:41.3 | 01:45.3 | 4.1 | 01:51.4 | 10.1 |
| 06:10.0 | 01:32.5 | -10.1 | 16:26.3 | 01:38.6 | -4.0 | 01:42.6 | 01:46.8 | 4.2 | 01:52.9 | 10.3 |
| 06:15.0 | 01:33.8 | -10.1 | 16:39.6 | 01:40.0 | -3.9 | 01:43.9 | 01:48.2 | 4.3 | 01:54.4 | 10.5 |
| 06:20.0 | 01:35.0 | -10.2 | 16:52.9 | 01:41.3 | -3.9 | 01:45.2 | 01:49.7 | 4.5 | 01:55.9 | 10.8 |
| 06:25.0 | 01:36.2 | -10.2 | 17:06.3 | 01:42.6 | -3.8 | 01:46.5 | 01:51.1 | 4.6 | 01:57.5 | 11.0 |
| 06:30.0 | 01:37.5 | -10.3 | 17:19.6 | 01:44.0 | -3.8 | 01:47.8 | 01:52.6 | 4.8 | 01:59.0 | 11.2 |
| 06:35.0 | 01:38.8 | -10.3 | 17:32.9 | 01:45.3 | -3.8 | 01:49.1 | 01:54.0 | 4.9 | 02:00.5 | 11.5 |
| 06:40.0 | 01:40.0 | -10.3 | 17:46.2 | 01:46.6 | -3.7 | 01:50.3 | 01:55.4 | 5.1 | 02:02.1 | 11.7 |
| 06:45.0 | 01:41.2 | -10.4 | 17:59.6 | 01:48.0 | -3.7 | 01:51.6 | 01:56.9 | 5.3 | 02:03.6 | 11.9 |
| 06:50.0 | 01:42.5 | -10.4 | 18:12.9 | 01:49.3 | -3.6 | 01:52.9 | 01:58.3 | 5.4 | 02:05.1 | 12.2 |
| 06:55.0 | 01:43.8 | -10.5 | 18:26.2 | 01:50.6 | -3.6 | 01:54.2 | 01:59.8 | 5.6 | 02:06.6 | 12.4 |
| 07:00.0 | 01:45.0 | -10.5 | 18:39.6 | 01:52.0 | -3.5 | 01:55.5 | 02:01.2 | 5.7 | 02:08.2 | 12.7 |
| 07:05.0 | 01:46.2 | -10.5 | 18:52.9 | 01:53.3 | -3.5 | 01:56.8 | 02:02.7 | 5.9 | 02:09.7 | 12.9 |
| 07:10.0 | 01:47.5 | -10.6 | 19:06.2 | 01:54.6 | -3.4 | 01:58.1 | 02:04.1 | 6.0 | 02:11.2 | 13.2 |
| 07:15.0 | 01:48.8 | -10.6 | 19:19.5 | 01:56.0 | -3.4 | 01:59.3 | 02:05.5 | 6.2 | 02:12.7 | 13.4 |
| 07:20.0 | 01:50.0 | -10.6 | 19:32.9 | 01:57.3 | -3.3 | 02:00.6 | 02:07.0 | 6.4 | 02:14.3 | 13.6 |
| 07:25.0 | 01:51.2 | -10.7 | 19:46.2 | 01:58.6 | -3.3 | 02:01.9 | 02:08.4 | 6.5 | 02:15.8 | 13.9 |
| 07:30.0 | 01:52.5 | -10.7 | 19:59.5 | 01:60.0 | -3.2 | 02:03.2 | 02:09.9 | 6.7 | 02:17.3 | 14.1 |
| 07:35.0 | 01:53.8 | -10.7 | 20:12.9 | 02:01.3 | -3.2 | 02:04.5 | 02:11.3 | 6.9 | 02:18.8 | 14.4 |
| 07:40.0 | 01:55.0 | -10.7 | 20:26.2 | 02:02.6 | -3.1 | 02:05.7 | 02:12.8 | 7.0 | 02:20.4 | 14.6 |
| 07:45.0 | 01:56.2 | -10.8 | 20:39.5 | 02:04.0 | -3.1 | 02:07.0 | 02:14.2 | 7.2 | 02:21.9 | 14.9 |
| 07:50.0 | 01:57.5 | -10.8 | 20:52.8 | 02:05.3 | -3.0 | 02:08.3 | 02:15.6 | 7.4 | 02:23.4 | 15.1 |
| 07:55.0 | 01:58.8 | -10.8 | 21:06.2 | 02:06.6 | -2.9 | 02:09.6 | 02:17.1 | 7.5 | 02:24.9 | 15.4 |
| 08:00.0 | 02:00.0 | -10.8 | 21:19.5 | 02:07.9 | -2.9 | 02:10.8 | 02:18.5 | 7.7 | 02:26.5 | 15.6 |
| 08:05.0 | 02:01.2 | -10.9 | 21:32.8 | 02:09.3 | -2.8 | 02:12.1 | 02:20.0 | 7.9 | 02:28.0 | 15.9 |
| 08:10.0 | 02:02.5 | -10.9 | 21:46.1 | 02:10.6 | -2.8 | 02:13.4 | 02:21.4 | 8.0 | 02:29.5 | 16.1 |
| 08:15.0 | 02:03.8 | -10.9 | 21:59.5 | 02:11.9 | -2.7 | 02:14.7 | 02:22.9 | 8.2 | 02:31.0 | 16.4 |
| 08:20.0 | 02:05.0 | -10.9 | 22:12.8 | 02:13.3 | -2.6 | 02:15.9 | 02:24.3 | 8.4 | 02:32.6 | 16.6 |
| 08:25.0 | 02:06.2 | -10.9 | 22:26.1 | 02:14.6 | -2.6 | 02:17.2 | 02:25.7 | 8.5 | 02:34.1 | 16.9 |
| 08:30.0 | 02:07.5 | -11.0 | 22:39.5 | 02:15.9 | -2.5 | 02:18.5 | 02:27.2 | 8.7 | 02:35.6 | 17.2 |