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Rowing Maths

Maths in rowing: personal bests

Compare old and new results.

Quick answer

Maths in rowing: personal bests helps you compare your old and new rowing times to see how much you’ve improved. You can use subtraction to find the difference between your times, and you can even make charts to show your progress!

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare your old rowing times with your new times and calculate how much faster or slower you are using subtraction. Success signs:
  • You can find the difference between two rowing times
  • You can explain what a personal best means
  • You can use subtraction to show improvement
  • You can make a simple chart to show your rowing progress

Why this matters

Rowing is a sport where even a few seconds can make a big difference. When you track your times, you can see how much you’ve improved. This helps you stay motivated and plan your training. In maths, comparing numbers and finding differences is used in many situations – like checking your pocket money, timing your bike ride, or seeing how much faster you are than your friend.

How it works

To compare rowing times, follow these steps:
  1. Write down your old rowing time
  2. Write down your new rowing time
  3. Subtract the new time from the old time
  4. If the answer is positive, you got faster. If it's negative, you got slower
Let’s look at how this works with numbers.

Examples you can see

Imagine you rowed a 500-metre race. Here are some examples: Rowing Times Example
Rowing Race Old Time (seconds) New Time (seconds) Difference (seconds)
First Race 120 115 5
Second Race 100 95 5
Third Race 90 92 -2
In the first race, you were 5 seconds faster than before. In the second race, you were also 5 seconds faster. But in the third race, you were 2 seconds slower. You can also use a number line to show this:
  • Start at 120 seconds (old time)
  • Go back 5 seconds (new time)
  • You land at 115 seconds
This shows you got faster by 5 seconds.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Rowing Time Tracker You are a rower in a school team. You want to find your personal best time and track your progress.
  • First time: 130 seconds
  • Second time: 125 seconds
  • Third time: 120 seconds
  • Fourth time: 118 seconds
  • Fifth time: 115 seconds
Now, let’s see how much faster you got each time:
  • 1st to 2nd race: 130 – 125 = 5 seconds faster
  • 2nd to 3rd race: 125 – 120 = 5 seconds faster
  • 3rd to 4th race: 120 – 118 = 2 seconds faster
  • 4th to 5th race: 118 – 115 = 3 seconds faster
Your personal best is 115 seconds – the fastest time you’ve ever rowed.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting the wrong way – like doing 125 – 130 instead of 130 – 125
    Why it happens: Confusing which number is bigger.
    Fix: Always subtract the new time from the old time to see how much faster you got.
  • Mistake: Thinking a negative number means you improved
    Why it happens: Not understanding what negative means in this case.
    Fix: A negative number shows you got slower, not faster.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write the unit (seconds)
    Why it happens: Not paying attention to details.
    Fix: Always include the unit (like seconds or minutes) when writing times.

Parent and carer guide

Parents and carers can help by:
  • Encouraging your child to track their own rowing times or times in other activities
  • Using a stopwatch or timer to practice timing races
  • Helping to make a chart showing times over time
  • Practising subtraction with real rowing times
  • Discussing what a personal best means and how it feels to improve
You can also play a game: "What’s the difference?" Ask your child to subtract two times and see if they get the right answer.

Practice questions

  1. Old time: 140 seconds. New time: 135 seconds. Difference: ?
  2. Old time: 110 seconds. New time: 115 seconds. Difference: ?
  3. Old time: 95 seconds. New time: 90 seconds. Difference: ?
  4. Old time: 120 seconds. New time: 122 seconds. Difference: ?
  5. Old time: 100 seconds. New time: 98 seconds. Difference: ?
Answers:
  1. 5 seconds faster
  2. 5 seconds slower
  3. 5 seconds faster
  4. 2 seconds slower
  5. 2 seconds faster

FAQ

What does personal best mean?

A personal best is your fastest time or best result in a sport or activity. It’s the time you’re most proud of because it shows how much you’ve improved.

Why do rowers track their times?

Rowers track times to see how much they’ve improved, to set goals, and to know if they’re getting better. It helps them stay motivated and train smarter.

How can I track my rowing times at home?

You can use a stopwatch or timer to record your times. Write them down and compare them. You can even draw a chart to show your progress over time.

What if I get slower in a race?

That’s okay! Getting slower sometimes happens. It can be a sign that you need more rest or that you’re trying harder. The important thing is to keep trying and improving.

Can I use this maths in other sports?

Yes! You can use the same maths to track your times in running, swimming, cycling, or any other sport where timing matters.