Max Bragg is about to do his 30th Rotorua Marathon. He and his wife Doris started at the Freedom Walkers group about 10 years ago
Rotorua’s Max Bragg only planned to do the Rotorua Marathon once, in 1981.
Fast forward to 2023, and Max, 79, is getting ready to lace up his shoes, toe the start line, and take on his 30th Rotorua Marathon race next weekend.
Max and his wife Doris used to live on Fairy Springs Rd when they first got married.
They would see Rotorua Marathon participants running past, and at the time he thought they were crazy, he says.
However, eventually, Max decided he would like to give the 42.2km challenge a go. He joined a running club in Ngongotaha at the time, because back then participants had to belong to a club to take part.
“I remember going past the airport with 10km to go. It was getting hard and I was thinking ‘I’m never doing this again’.”
However, he finished the race and has continued with his running endeavours since.
Joining the club in Ngongotaha was also where he would end up meeting his running mentor, Colin Smyth, who completed 50 Rotorua marathons and provided guidance to many runners, Max says.
Max Bragg is about to do his 30th Rotorua Marathon. Photo / Andrew Warner
He says after your 15th Rotorua Marathon you get a Survivor’s Club T-shirt, and then get a new T-shirt for every five years after that.
“I wanted to quit after my 20th, but the 50th anniversary was coming up and I thought, ‘I’ve got to do that’, and just kept going.”
Max says: “I think I find the hardest part has to be along Hamurana, along the back of the lake to the Ohau Channel. Getting to Holden’s Bay is always a great feeling... when I get to the Rotorua airport is when I think, ‘I’m going to do it, I’ve got this far’.”
Over the years, he and Doris have done all types of running, including road, track and cross country.
They have done training through the marathon clinic with Lake City Athletics Club, and Doris has already completed 30 Rotorua Marathons.
The couple have been part of the Freedom Walkers group for 10 years, and Max has even completed an Ironman.
Max says what he loves about running is the social side, training with others at the marathon clinic who have similar goals, and how it is a hard sport.
Despite an injury in January that slowed him down a bit, Max is feeling ready for the marathon next weekend and is looking forward to it. He is expecting to jog and walk the distance.
He trains seriously five days a week with a mixture of speed and endurance sessions, covering between 60km and 70km a week.
He always has a time in mind for the event and this year wants to complete the race in under six hours, having clocked 5 hours, 49 minutes last year.
“No matter what happens, you never lose that competitive spirit.”
His fastest Rotorua Marathon time has been 3 hours, 18 minutes. His best marathon time of 3 hours, 13 minutes was achieved at a race in Hamilton.
Max’s tips for those who may be doing their first marathon event next weekend is to not get carried away at the start, take your time through it, and to drink plenty of fluids - “Start at the first drink stop and drink at every one”.
He says he is considering doing the Rotorua Marathon next year, as he will have turned 80 in February.
Max thanks all his clubmates for their support over the years.
The 2023 Rotorua Marathon is set to take place on Saturday, May 6, with a range of distances and new events also on offer
