Steve Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance, coauthor of Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success and The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life, and the author of The Science of Running: How to Find Your Limit and Train to Maximize Your Performance. Collectively his books have sold more than a quarter-million copies in print, ebook, and audio formats.
Magness has served as a consultant on mental skills development for professional sports teams, including some of the top teams in the NBA. He has also coached numerous professional athletes to the Olympics and world championship level.
Magness was a columnist for Running Times magazine and is now the co-host of two podcasts: The Growth Equation podcast, with Brad Stulberg, and On Coaching with Magness and Marcus, with Jon Marcus. His writing has also appeared in Runner’s World and Sports Illustrated. In addition, Steve's expertise on elite sport and performance has been featured in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Men’s Health, The Guardian, Business Insider, and ESPN The Magazine.
Steve received his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and a graduate degree from George Mason University. He currently lives in Houston, Tx.
- If you are new to my work, start by checking out my books or my weekly newsletter at The Growth Equation.
- If you are interested in one-on-one performance coaching or having me speak at your organization, please contact me using this form.
- For regular tips on how to improve your health, wellbeing, and performance sign up for my newsletter and follow me on Twitter.
Media Highlights:
- New York Times- “What We Can Learn From Endurance Athletes About Getting Through a Pandemic”
- The Washington Post- “Losing the Motivation to Exercise as the Pandemic Drags On?”
- The New Yorker - "What is Fatigue?"
- The Wall Street Journal- “The Mystery of What Drives Bob Iger”
- The Wall Street Journal - "Caroline Wozniacki NYC Marathon After Busy Few Days."
- Wired, “How Googlers Avoid Burnout (and Secretly Boost Creativity)”
- Wired, "What's Up With That: Why Running Hurts Every Part of Your Body."
- ESPN The Magazine, “Rise Above It or Drown—How Elite NBA Athletes Handle Pressure”
- Inc, “Go Big or Go Home? A New Book Says the Linkage Between Going All-In and Success Is B.S.”
- FiveThirtyEight, “Can Science Help Runners Break The Marathon’s 2-Hour Barrier?”
- The Washington Post, “Lasers, rabbits and new Nikes: How the 2-hour marathon barrier was broken.”
- Forbes, “Follow Your Passion: Crazy or Genius?”
- Vox, “Boston Marathon will pay prize money to top 3 women finishers after all” Book Riot, “8 Books the 2019 Boston Marathon U.S. Elite Women are Reading”
- Sports Illustrated, “Marathoner Shalane Flanagan on the Power of Passion”
- The New York Times, "The Once and Future Way to Run."
- The Guardian-"Paula Radcliffe Comes Out Fighting After Doping Allegations"
- Men's Health - "6 Treadmill Workouts That Will Kick Your Ass"
- CNBC, “These 15 Books Will Help You Live a Happier and More Successful Life”
- Thrive Global, “Discover the Secret to Avoiding Parental Burnout”
- Running Times - "Can't Hurry Love"
- Competitor, "Before You Soak in That Ice Bath"
- Dance Magazine, “Become a Better Performer: 7 Strategic Ways to Prime Your Mind for The Stage”
- Outside, "Meet Steve Magness, the Mad Scientist of Running"
- Outside, “How to Develop Mental Toughness”
- Outside, “6 Principles to Crush in Life Without Burning Out”
- NPR, “I Am A Woman: Track Start Caster Semenya”
- Austin American-Statesman, “Commentary: The college admissions scandal and our obsession with status.”
- The Independent -"Doping Crisis: Paula Radcliffe Should Just Come Clean"
- The Globe and Mail, “Runners, don’t sweat taking a break- rest can improve performance”
- ESPN.com, “The remarkable story of 41-year old Olympic marathon hopeful Roberta Groner”
- Irish Times, “When the going gets tough, the men quit and the women kick-on”