Max Jolliffe battled addiction for years before turning to ultramarathons. "I was self-medicating and treating myself with drugs and alchohol to shut this thing off in my brain because I'm just afraid," said Jollife. "I'm afraid of life, I'm afraid of of having relationships with people, I'm afraid of succeeding, I'm afraid of failing. It all boils down to fear."
Jolliffe was arrested several times before he decided to make a change. "The day I got sober was the day I got arrested for the last time."
As Jolliffe began searching for ways to stay sober, he discovered running. He said the hardest ultramarathons will never be as hard as getting sober.
"I just kind of fell in love with it," Jolliffe said. "I have a very addictive personality. If I find something that I really like... I'm going to keep doing it."
As Jolliffe developed his love for running, he began a run streak where he ran every single day for three and a half years.
"I feel like it's kind of a superpower... the obsession and that addictive personality kind of overries that voice in your head that's telling you, like, 'Ah, you could take it easy today. You could take a day off," he said. "Whereas in my mind it's not even an option."
Jolliffe burst onto the ultramarathon scene in 2024 finishing first in the Moab 240. In 2026, he won and set a new course record for the Badwater 135, which is considered one of the most brutal endurance competitions.
