How fast can you row 100 meters? For most people, it’s a brutal all-out sprint that leaves you gasping for air. But a new world record shared by Concept2 shows just how explosive the human body can be when put to the test.
Swiss athlete Loïc Schalbetter has set a blistering new benchmark on the Concept2 rowing machine with slides, covering 100m in just 12.1 seconds.
That translates into an average split of 1:00.5 per 500m, with a peak pace of 0:57.7 per 500m and an astonishing 1818 watts of power.
This performance isn’t just about raw strength, it also highlights how technology is changing the sport. Until recently, Concept2 monitors couldn’t even display paces under 1:00/500m. A new firmware update unlocked that feature, and Schalbetter immediately pushed the limits of what’s possible.
To put the achievement in perspective:
- Elite CrossFit athletes often row 500m sprints in the 1:20–1:30 range.
- Olympic-level rowers generate huge wattage, but rarely hit this level of explosive speed.
- The 100m distance is a pure power test — more like a weightlifting max-out than an endurance row.
The big question now: could anyone break the 12-second barrier?
Watch the record-breaking 100m row here
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If you’re preparing for HYROX, you can also watch our video with former HYROX world record holder Sophia Parvizi-Wayne, where she takes on a rowing workout and shares her training approach
