Editing Brian Maxwell

{{for|the Canadian archer|Brian Maxwell (archer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
 |birth_date={{birth date|1953|3|14}}
 |birth_place= [[London]], England, United Kingdom 
 |death_date={{death date and age|2004|3|19|1953|3|14}}
 |death_place=[[San Anselmo, California]], United States
 |occupation=athlete, coach, businessman
 |spouse=Jennifer Maxwell
 |alma mater= [[University of California, Berkeley]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}}
}}

'''Brian Leigh Maxwell''' (March 14, 1953 – March 19, 2004) was a British born Canadian [[track and field]] athlete, track coach, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He founded [[PowerBar]], a maker of energy and nutritional products for athletes. Maxwell initially never intended to become a [[marathon]] runner, but lacked the speed necessary to be competitive at shorter distances. Despite being told as a teenager of his congenital heart condition, he persevered, and by 1977, he was ranked third among all marathoners by ''[[Track and Field News]]''.  At age 51, he died of a heart attack at a local post office.<ref name= dies>[http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-ANSELMO-PowerBar-founder-collapses-dies-at-2778452.php PowerBar founder collapses, dies at 51], ''[[San Francisco Gate]]'', Stacy Finz, March 20, 2004. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref>

==Early life==
Maxwell grew up in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], Canada, where he attended Victoria Park Secondary School (now [[Victoria Park Collegiate Institute]]), and he was a member of the Victoria Park Track Club (not associated with the school). The club was coached by [[Commonwealth Games]] [[shot put]] gold medalist [[Dave Steen (shot putter)|Dave Steen]].  While at Victoria Park, he was awarded the Arnold Trophy for excellence in academics and athletics.

In 1975, Maxwell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture from the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he was on the Golden Bears [[Track and field|track]] team.<ref name= coach/> As an outstanding student on the team, he won the [[Brutus Hamilton]] Award, named after the University's long-time coach.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-mar-21-me-maxwell21-story.html Brian Maxwell, 51; Marathoner Was a Co-Creator of PowerBar], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', Jon Thurber, March 21, 2004. Retrieved July 8, 2020.</ref>

==Elite athlete and coach==
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Maxwell frequently represented Canada as a long distance runner. He won his first marathon, in 1975, in Canada, and competed in the 1978 [[Commonwealth Games]].<ref name= coach/> He was the top qualifier for the three-member Canadian [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Olympic]] marathon team that did not participate in the games in Moscow due to the U.S.-led boycott. His fastest marathon was 2:14:43 in 1977. He won the Ottawa National Capitol Marathon that year.<ref>[http://www.nndb.com/people/861/000039744/ Brian Maxwell], ''[[NNDB]]''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref> He also won the [[Enschede, Netherlands]] marathon that year, in 2:15:14, breaking [[Ron Hill]]'s course record.<ref>[http://marathoninfo.free.fr/historique/twente.htm Palmares Marathon De Twente]. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref> Maxwell went on to serve as the cross country and distance running coach at UC Berkeley,<ref name= coach>[http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/23_maxwells.shtml Brian and Jennifer Maxwell share successes with Cal athletics], ''[[UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism|U.C. Berkeley News]]'', Bob Rose, Fall 2002. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref> helping four team members become [[NCAA]] Division I [[All-America]]ns in cross country and track and field. Tom Downs, Jr., the first of those at Berkeley to win that honor when he finished 13th at the nationals in 1981, attributed that to Maxwell's regimen of having his runners alternate easy and very hard training days, to push them to their limits.<ref>[https://247sports.com/college/california/Article/Cal-Loses-One-of-Its-Own-104082294/ Cal Loses One of Its Own], ''[[247Sports]]'', Chris Avery, April 2, 2004. Retrieved January 29, 2023.</ref>

==PowerBar==
Maxwell started the [[PowerBar]] company with his girlfriend, Jennifer Biddulph, a nutritionist who later became his wife. Maxwell developed the idea of an energy bar after dropping out of a marathon at {{convert|21|mi|km|adj=on}}, at about the segment of the {{convert|42|km|mi|adj=on}} event known among runners as "[[Hit the wall|The Wall]]", where experts say the body ceases burning [[carbohydrate]]s and begins burning muscle tissue instead. In the kitchen of their [[Berkeley, California]] home, the couple began developing [[snack bar]] recipes with both simple and [[complex carbohydrate]]s.<ref name= dies/>

==Other business interests==
In late 2000, Maxwell invested in the Active Network Inc. ([[Active.com]]), helping establish the company as the leading provider of data management and online registration services for fitness events.  By 2001, Maxwell joined Active's board of directors.<ref name= dies/> He also chaired Game Ready, which manufactured devices to assist healing of sports injuries.<ref name= coach/>

==Legacy==
In addition to helping promote many fitness events and sponsoring numerous athletes, Maxwell and his wife contributed generously to [[UC Berkeley]], from which both graduated.  The former Kleeberger Field was renamed Maxwell Family Field after the couple donated funds to replace the artificial surface.  Located just north of UC Berkeley's [[California Memorial Stadium|Memorial Stadium]], the field serves as home to the university's hockey, football and lacrosse programs.<ref>[http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/22_maxwell.shtml Cal mourns passing of Brian Maxwell, former coach, runner, PowerBar founder, and philanthropist], ''[[UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism|Berkeley News]]'', March 22, 2004. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref> Jennifer Maxwell also endowed a full-tuition scholarship, the Brian L. Maxwell Fellowship, at the [[Haas School of Business]].  Maxwell Fellowships are intended to memorialize the drive, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit which led Maxwell to achieve success in business and his athletic pursuits.<ref>[https://www.brianmaxwellfellows.com/faqs.htm Brian Maxwell Fellows], [[Haas School of Business]]. Retrieved January 29, 2023.</ref> There has been an annual award named after Maxwell at the high school he attended, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, which is given to a student who excels in athletics and academics while at Victoria Park. He also donated the well-equipped Fitness Room at the Institute.<ref>[http://victoriaparkci.ca/about/ Victoria Park Collegiate Institute About] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421235736/http://victoriaparkci.ca/about/ |date=April 21, 2017 }}, ''[[Victoria Park Collegiate Institute]]''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref>

Maxwell is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and six children.<ref>[http://www.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/son-of-powerbar-founder-aims-for-sub-240-at-boston Son of Powerbar founder aims for sub 2:40 at Boston], ''[[Runners World]]'', Declan Duggan, April 13, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref> Their daughter, Julia, was a standout cross country runner, and her mother and grandmother, Barbara Magid, were top competitors in the arduous and venerable  age-and-gender handicapped [[Dipsea Race]], first run in 1905. Julia finished fourth in that competition at 13-years-old. Julia competed for [[Stanford University]] where she received a double major degree in nutrition and anthropology.<ref>[https://alpinehikers.com/meet-julia-alpinehikers-and-run-the-alps-first-intern-extraordinaire/ Meet Julia: Alpinehikers and Run the Alps first intern extraordinaire], ''Alpine Hikers''. Retrieved July 8, 2Race020.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/22_maxwell.shtml Berkeley.edu] – 'Cal mourns passing of Brian Maxwell, former coach, runner, PowerBar founder, and philanthropist:  Memorial service scheduled for noon April 2 at [[Haas Pavilion]]', [[University of California, Berkeley]] (March 22, 2004)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060810172758/http://www.powerbar.com/Company/MediaResources/NewsReleases.aspx?id=6BB5C146-8B8C-4FD6-B463-5B23B646BA46 PowerBar.com] – 'PowerBar Mourns the Passing of Founder, Brian Maxwell', [[PowerBar]] (March 2004)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Brian}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian male long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Canadian male marathon runners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian businesspeople]]
[[Category:UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]