Injury not holding Te Kawa West's Max Baxter back

Ōtorohanga Mayor Max Baxter

Te Kawa West's Max Baxter is a well known figure around the Te Awamutu and Otorohanga districts - but for 30 years has been carrying a leg injury that has threatened his mobility.

That injury has gone largely unnoticed as Max continued his dairy farming career and then entered local body politics - serving as mayor of Otorohanga District since 2013.

Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter has set himself an under three hour goal for the Rotorua Half Marathon - on crutches. Photo / Supplied

Also not as well known is his passion for athletics - namely running marathons.

In 1991, Baxter ran his debut marathon in Rotorua, finishing in 3h 14m.

He wanted to do better, making up for some disappointment as a promising junior runner when he missed the nationals because of a motorcycle injury.

But soon after the marathon he suffered incredible pain in his left leg. He was diagnosed with a femoral artery failure, which resulted in no pulse below his left knee.

Max underwent bypass surgery, which was expected to be good for about 10 years.

He went on to run marathons again, running three sub-three hour times in the process, including his personal best 2h 49m in New Plymouth.

The surgery actually lasted 22 years, but eight years ago Max 'felt the artery go' and again suffered from pain.

More surgery was an option, but it meant cutting open his arms to harvest healthy veins, and there was no guarantee.

Max says he went into a dark place for a while, the natural instinct to feel sorry for himself.

It was his wife Lindsay who told him to 'snap out of it' - "... and I did".

Max decided to find ways to handle the pain and get back to running.

Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter

That has culminated in his decision to once again take on the marathon where it all started - albeit a half marathon this time, and on crutches.

Now aged 56, Max has set himself the goal of going under three hours this Saturday.

He is eager to match his performances in his younger days running full marathons in under three hours.

"I figured I would target three hours as it created another level of challenge," he says.

"A three-hour marathon is an admirable target for most runners so why not attempt half of that?"

Max is using hi-tech crutches he imported from Canada and has completed training, targeting split times on various terrains that match the Rotorua course so he can achieve his goal.

He was going to be supported by Lindsay, but says he has 'broken' his wife of 30 years in training.

"Running isn't her happy place so I appreciate what she was trying to do for me," says Max.

But there is another Baxter in the event, their 26-year-old daughter Taegan is honouring her father's history by taking on her first full marathon.

Max says her training provided him with motivation, but he also didn't want to take anything away from her potential achievement.

"Hopefully on Saturday we will be celebrating each of us reaching our goals," he says.

"It will mean a lot to us both and I hope it provides motivation for others."