Rowing for Runners: Cross-Training Guide

By the Watta Team · Updated

The rowing machine is the ideal cross-training tool for runners. It builds cardiovascular fitness comparable to running but with zero impact on your joints. This guide shows runners how to integrate erg sessions into their training to improve endurance, reduce injury risk, and maintain fitness during recovery periods.

Why Runners Should Row

Running is high-impact — every stride generates 2-3 times your body weight through your ankles, knees, and hips. This cumulative stress leads to overuse injuries, especially as weekly mileage increases. Rowing provides equivalent cardiovascular training with zero impact. It also strengthens the posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings) — muscles that are often weak in runners and contribute to common injuries like IT band syndrome and runner's knee.

How to Structure Cross-Training

Replace one easy run per week with a 30-40 minute steady state row. The cardiovascular benefit is equivalent, but the mechanical stress is dramatically lower. During injury recovery, replace all running with rowing at the same duration and relative intensity. For marathon training, add a 20-minute row after your shorter runs to accumulate aerobic time without additional impact.

Matching Intensity Between Running and Rowing

Use heart rate to match effort across modalities. Your easy run heart rate zone should be the same heart rate on the erg. As a rough conversion, a 5:00/km running pace correlates to approximately a 2:10-2:20/500m rowing pace at similar heart rate. Do not worry about matching paces exactly — heart rate is the most reliable way to ensure equivalent training stimulus.

Injury Prevention Benefits

Rowing strengthens the glutes and hamstrings eccentrically, which protects against hamstring strains. The core engagement builds the trunk stability needed for efficient running form. Upper-body conditioning from rowing improves arm drive mechanics during running. Many elite runners and running coaches now programme 1-2 weekly erg sessions year-round as injury prevention rather than just during injury recovery.

Choosing an app?

Which app should you use with your Concept2? →

Seven erg trackers ranked, free options first: ErgData, the Concept2 Logbook, Watta and more — what each is best for.

Tips

  • +Use heart rate, not split time, to match erg effort to your running training zones.
  • +Row on your easy days and after hard running sessions — do not add rowing on top of hard running.
  • +Focus on the hip hinge at the catch position. It strengthens the same posterior chain muscles that protect your running stride.
  • +Start with 20-minute erg sessions and build to 40 minutes over 3-4 weeks to avoid new-activity soreness.
  • +Track both running and rowing sessions in one place (Watta syncs to Strava) for a complete training overview.

Further Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Will rowing make me a faster runner?
Rowing improves cardiovascular fitness, which directly supports running performance. It also strengthens muscles that are commonly weak in runners. Many athletes report improved running economy and reduced injury frequency after adding regular rowing to their programme.
How often should runners row?
One to two erg sessions per week is optimal for most runners. Replace easy runs rather than adding extra training volume. During injury recovery, rowing can replace running entirely at equivalent heart rate and duration.
Can rowing replace running for marathon training?
Rowing can replace some running volume to reduce injury risk, but it cannot fully replace the run-specific muscular adaptations needed for marathon racing. Use rowing as a supplement to running, not a replacement, during marathon preparation.

Related Content

Steady State Rowing GuideHeart Rate Training for Rowing30-Minute Rowing WorkoutRowing vs RunningRowing & Strength TrainingHeart Rate Zones (Rowing)Heart rate zones in rowing are five intensity bands based on resting and max heart rate, used to target different training adaptations.UT2 TrainingUT2 training is low-intensity aerobic rowing at 55–65% of 2K power — heart rate 60–70% of heart-rate reserve, 18–22 spm — and it forms the foundation of a rower's endurance fitness.Steady State RowingSteady state rowing is continuous, easy-paced erging at conversational intensity for 20–90 minutes — the UT2 band, 55–65% of 2K power at 18–22 spm — used to build aerobic fitness.Calories (Rowing)Calories on a Concept2 ergometer are calculated from watts (power output), not from heart rate or individual body composition, using a standardised formula.Rowing Machine vs TreadmillThe rowing machine engages more muscles (86% vs 50%), is lower impact, and burns comparable calories to the treadmill, but the treadmill is more sport-specific for runners.HR Zone CalculatorCalorie Burn CalculatorRowing Pace CalculatorFor RowersFor Home GymFor Weight LossFor Triathletes
Free on iPhone

Every erg counts.

Photograph your erg screen after the piece and Watta logs it for you.

Download on the App Store

iPhone, iOS 15.1 or later · no subscription · Android beta

See everything Watta does