A deaf 17-year-old runner has won a major 5km race in a city which holds a special place in his heart.

Max Uttley, who runs for St Edmund’s Pacers running group based in Bury St Edmunds, finished first in the Great South Run 5km in Portsmouth on Saturday, October 17, with a time of 15 minutes 12 seconds – a new personal best.

His mum, Jo, said Max was diagnosed as profoundly deaf when he was just eight weeks old before later being diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD).

The condition affects how sound signals travel from the ear to the brain, meaning someone may be able to hear sounds but struggle to process them.

“We were told he would never be able to talk,” Jo said. “And we just didn’t want to accept that.”

Between the ages of two and five, Jo took Max to the Elizabeth Foundation, a specialist nursery in Cosham, near Portsmouth, twice a week.

Although the family lived in Suffolk, they made the journey to Hampshire every week because Max was thriving there.

Staff were determined to help him develop age-appropriate language skills by the time he was five.

The city also holds family connections for Max with relatives living in Portsmouth.

As he grew older, Jo said it became clear running would play a major role in his life.

Max, who studies at Abbeygate Sixth Form College, in Bury, now hopes to secure an athletics scholarship before going to university where he plans to continue pursuing his passion for running.

Jo said: “We couldn’t be more proud of him and everything he has achieved.

“If you spoke to him, you wouldn’t even know he’s deaf – he’s come such a long way and has defied the odds.

“He trains practically every night and he’s just so focused on his running. It just shows what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.”