Mental is as important as physical: Gerda Steyn on pressures at elite level

South African ultra-distance queen Gerda Steyn had Two Oceans for breakfast and Comrades Marathons for lunch, but admits aiming for or attempting to maintain such a standard comes with immense pressure that can lead to mental health challenges. 

Steyn, nicknamed “The Smiling Assassin” and who holds the records for both Two Oceans and Comrades, both set in a stunning season last year, says athletes who are struggling to cope with incessant pressure to perform have to seek professional help. Steyn has been easily the most successful female ultra road runner in South Africa of the last half-decade, winning the last five Two Oceans and last three Comrades.

Mental health in sport has been thrust into the spotlight in recent years, and Steyn, 34, said athletes need reliable support structures to help them deal with pressure and have longevity in their sport. 

“When it comes to athletics, it is 100% true that it's physical because you have to do a lot of training,” she said. “Sometimes the mental side of it gets left behind or not talked about enough.

“I feel your mental fitness is as important as your physical fitness for you to be able to perform at your optimum. It is therefore important to put a lot of attention into it. Since I started running many years ago, there was always pressure and that led to a rapid increase in my times.” 

Though she has been superdominant in South African ultra marathons, Steyn has often struggled in the step up to the international stage and last year she finished 45th in the women's marathon on the final day of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The pressure athletes feel to continue to press for the ultimate — which, in an elite runner as spectacularly successful as Steyn, could be considered even more frantic — might have been what led to her pressing so hard for runs that not only won her Two Oceans and Comrades in an Olympic year, but also records in them. Some felt such runs in both ultras, when most elite athletes prioritise one or the other, might have been inadvisable in an Olympic year.

Steyn felt she could ride the momentum of her South African successes onto the Paris streets. Who knows which approach would or could have been better, had she chosen another course?

“Pressure is something that has always been part of my running from day one. The best way I handled pressure was to always remind myself why I started, to keep my head up and never let any performance faze me,” she said. 

Steyn said spending time with other athletes helps her take her mind off negativity. “The best way for me to deal with pressure is to keep myself within the running community. I have daily conversations with runners at local clubs to feel that camaraderie. 

“It is not just seeing running as a job but for its social element and feeling better after a run. That has always been what keeps my mind positive and wanting to come back for more.” 

With all her successes, and accompanying challenges, Steyn says she never sought professional help to deal with the demands of her job because of the good support structure she enjoys. 

On the one side I see it as something that goes through the minds of runners a lot but I don’t see it as being different to any other job. In any job, you must be passionate, you want to perform to the best of your ability, make your boss proud and increase your financial situation.

—  Gerda Steyn

“I have never had to seek professional help, but I think if you feel you need it, go ask for help. Also make sure your support structure is strong and those who are close to you support your goals and are there for you when you need them the most. 

“It is one thing to say you support someone but it is a different thing to show it, so a good support structure is important for longevity in running. A lot of times your support structure can handle the commitments for a short while and get tired after a while. 

“You need to have a structure that is sustainable and they [those who support] are in it for the long run.” 

Steyn said athletes make a living out of running, but they have to find a balance of not over-running to make more money. 

“On the one side I see it as something that goes through the minds of runners a lot, but I don’t see it as being different to any other job. In any job, you must be passionate, you want to perform to the best of your ability, make your boss proud and increase your financial situation. 

“In the running world, it is the same. If you put in the hard work, make your talent grow, it will come with financial benefits. If running is your profession, you have to accept that this is your way of making income and it is a motivator to get the best out of yourself.”