RowErgs

Individual Marathon

The goal: To row or ski 42,195 meters in one workout. It is a category in our Online Ranking along with the half-marathon of 21,097 meters. For preparation and training information go to Training for a Marathon.

Each person rowing or skiing a full marathon will be awarded one free marathon pin per ranking year (May 1–April 30; [concept2:country] participants only).

When you've completed your marathon, enter it in your Online Logbook, and then visit the Challenges page to download a certificate and request your pin.

Questions? Email [concept2:marathon-email].

Regulations and Recommendations

We recommend that at least one support person be present throughout the marathon attempt. This person can keep a log of your meters completed at intervals and will serve as your witness. This person is also helpful if you need extra water, and so on.

Drink fluids at least every half hour and rest as often as you need to. We suggest a minimum break of several minutes each hour. Just keep the following in mind:

Any rest time will be added to your total time.
PMs are programmed to shut down after a couple of minutes of inactivity during a workout. To prevent your monitor from shutting down mid-marathon, either keep your breaks short, or keep the monitor active by pressing Units or Change Units regularly before you resume the piece.

Set your monitor for a 42,195 meter distance workout. For more information on how to do so, visit Performance Monitor in our Service section.

Good luck!

Muscles Used

Rowing and Your Muscles

Rowing is a coordinated muscle action that involves every large muscle group in the body. The following sections illustrate the primary muscles used during each movement of the rowing stroke. For a more detailed analysis of the muscles used, refer to The Biomechanics of Rowing.

1The Catch 2The Drive 3The Finish 4The Recovery

1 The Catch

At the catch, your legs are compressed and your shins are vertical. Your triceps work to extend your arms, and the flexor muscles of your fingers and thumbs grip the handle. Your back muscles are relaxed, and your abdominals are flexing your torso forward.

2 The Drive

You initiate the drive with the powerful muscles of your legs, and all of the shoulder muscles are contracting. As you work through the drive sequence, your biceps engage to pull the handle toward your abdomen, your back muscles work more as you swing your torso open, and your glutes and hamstrings contract to extend the hip. As the drive finishes with the arm pull-through, nearly all the muscles of your upper body engage.

3 The Finish

At the finish, the abdominals stabilize the body, and the glutes and quads are contracting. The biceps and many of the back muscles are also contracting to help keep the torso in the finish position and to internally rotate the upper arms.

4 The Recovery

The triceps engage to push the arms forward and away from the body. The abdominals flex the torso forward, and the hamstrings and calves contract as you slide up to the catch.

Getting Started

Rowing is easy to learn. Once you know the basics, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your fitness goals. Use the tips and resources in this section to make the most of your indoor rower.

Learn Proper Technique

Before your first workout, take the time to watch our technique videos. Learning proper technique from the start will help you row better and faster in the long run. It will also help prevent injury and keep you from developing bad technique habits that are difficult to break.

Educate Yourself

Become familiar with the basic things that will be key to your long-term success: beneficial stretches, helpful breathing techniques, how to be comfortable on the indoor rower, and what the damper setting does. There is a lot of great information under Tips and General Info and in the Training Guide; we recommend taking the time to look through them.

Build Up Gradually

When you first get on the indoor rower, resist the temptation to do too much too soon. Instead, make sure you focus on your technique and learn to maintain a steady pace. Follow our First Workouts in the Training Programs section.

Track Your Progress

Monitoring your progress is one of the best ways to stay motivated and achieve your goals. We recommend signing up for our Online Logbook, where you can record all your workouts, participate in the many challenges offered throughout the year, and keep track of your progress if you’re working towards one of the Million Meter Clubs. If you prefer paper, call or email us to request our paper logbook or download a logbook page and print it.

Train with a Partner

Finding a workout partner can make a huge difference in sticking to a new routine. You can use the Training Partner feature of our online logbook to keep track of their progress, no matter where they live.

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