Ahead of the Commonwealth Games, 800 metre runner Max Burgin is determined to put his injury troubles behind him as he sets his sights on gold - and Sebastian Coe's 45-year-old British record.
In July 2022, Max Burgin (History 2025) found himself stranded in Eugene, Oregon, unable to move without a mobility scooter.
Aged just 20, he had arrived in the USA for the World Athletics Championships as the fastest man in the world that year over 800 metres. He was British champion. After so much promise as a junior – when he'd broken world, European and British records – the stage was set for him to finally become a household name.
But during the heats Max pulled out with what he thought was a calf strain. After further investigation, it was revealed to be deep vein thrombosis: "I was devastated. I couldn't race, and I wasn't allowed to fly home, either. It was a tough year after that. I felt pretty despondent, but it also helped me learn how to push through."
Max Burgin eyes gold
Listen to the full interview with Max in the latest Leeds Voices podcast episode
Anyone lucky enough to witness Max race will be grateful he recovered.
He's the one at the front from the gun. There's no hiding in the pack and waiting for the perfect moment to kick. He does it his way – and he always has.
"I train by myself, so I'm used to running in front with open air ahead of me," says Max. "I prefer it that way – and I've had a lot of success with it."
Max is third on the all-time list of British times for the distance, and, remarkably, holds four of the 10 fastest times for the event in British history. He finished eighth in the Paris Olympics in 2024 – after just a month of preparation following injury.
Whereas many professional athletes are drawn to training hubs in Loughborough or Leeds, Max has rarely strayed far from home. He's a proud Yorkshireman raised in Halifax, in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. He started with cross-country at the local club as a young boy, where his grandad was head coach.
"I wasn't very good at running," Max says. "Cross-country really wasn't for me." It was only when he was encouraged to try out the track as a teenager that things began to click. In his first year in athletics, he didn't lose a race. In his second year he won the county championship.
Studying at Leeds suited him just fine – not because of the running community, but because it was close enough for him to pop back to Halifax for hill sessions. His dad, a former 800m runner himself, took over the coaching, and would travel to Leeds for three track sessions each week – which have gained a reputation in the athletics world for their intensity.
"If I'd have been with any other coach they'd have long since given up on me with all my injuries," Max says. Achilles issues, sural nerve entrapments, tendon tears, tendinopathy, fat pad inflammation – at the age of just 24, Max has had the lot. "But he sticks with me and our set-up works well. My dad is on hand with the whistle for every track session, keeping me to pace."
Max was awarded a sports scholarship by the University, meaning he benefited from world-class facilities and extensions when competitions clashed with deadlines. He continues to live in the city as a graduate, making the most of the Meanwood Valley Trail and the canal path for his longer runs.
Most dog walkers will be unaware they're passing one of the fastest men in the world as he trots by, preparing to aim for Sebastian Coe's long-standing British record of 1:41.73. His personal best is currently just 0.6 seconds shy. "I've come very close without a perfect year of preparation – and although that might never come, I might not need it. Reaching the Olympic final in Paris with so little training solidified my confidence."
He's competing in the Commonwealth Games this summer, and there's no doubt he'll be going from the front, doing it his own way, and, presumably, with eyes on gold?
"Definitely," says Max. "I'm feeling fit, and I'm really excited for what's to come."
