Dick Quax facts for kids

Quax in 1977
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Full name	Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus Quax
Citizenship	New Zealand
Born	(1948-01-01)1 January 1948 Alkmaar, Netherlands
Died	28 May 2018(2018-05-28) (aged 70) Auckland, New Zealand
Sport
Coached by	John Davies
Achievements and titles
National finals	1 mile champion (1969) 5000 m champion (1972, 1973, 1974)
Personal best(s)	5,000 m – 13:12.87 10,000 m – 27:41.95 Marathon – 2:10:47
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  New Zealand Olympic Games Silver 1976 Montreal 5000 metres Commonwealth Games Silver 1970 Edinburgh 1500 metres

Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus "Dick" Quax (1 January 1948 – 28 May 2018) was a famous New Zealand runner. He was born in the Netherlands. Dick Quax once held a world record in the 5000 metres race. He was also a local politician in New Zealand.

Quax was involved in politics for many years. He was a councillor for Manukau City from 2001 to 2007. Later, he became a councillor for the Auckland Council in 2011. He served on the council until he passed away in 2018.

Dick Quax's Running Career

Dick Quax was a very successful athlete. He won four national titles in New Zealand. These included the 5000 metres race three times (1972, 1973, and 1974). He also won the one mile race in 1969.

Medals at Big Games

At the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, Quax won a silver medal. This was for the 1500 metres race. He competed in the 5000 metres at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He did not make it past the first round that year.

However, he won a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He could not compete in the 1980 Olympics. This was because many Western countries, including New Zealand, boycotted the games in Moscow.

Setting World Records

In 1977, Dick Quax set a new world record. He ran the 5000 metres in 13 minutes and 12.9 seconds in Stockholm. This record lasted for almost a year. It remained a New Zealand national record for over 31 years. Adrian Blincoe finally broke it in 2008.

Quax also set a New Zealand record for the 15 km race in 1980. He ran it in 43 minutes and 1.7 seconds. Later in his career, he started focusing on the marathon. In 1979, he ran his first marathon in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 13 seconds. This was the fastest first marathon ever at that time.

In 1980, he won the same marathon race. He set a new New Zealand record with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 47 seconds. After he stopped competing, Quax worked in sports management. He also coached his son, Theo, who was a champion runner too.

Best Running Times

Dick Quax's Political Career

Dick Quax was a member of the ACT Party. He tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1999 and 2002. However, he was not elected.

Serving as a Councillor

In October 2001, Quax was elected to the Manukau City Council. He represented the Pakuranga area. He was re-elected in 2004 for a new area called Botany-Clevedon. In 2007, he tried to become the mayor of Manukau City. He lost to Len Brown.

In 2010, Quax ran for the Auckland Council. He did not win that election. But in 2011, he was elected to the Auckland Council. This happened in a special by-election for the Howick area. He was re-elected without anyone running against him in 2013.

In 2013, there was a situation where Mayor Len Brown was found to have not declared some gifts. Dick Quax spoke out about this. It was then found that Quax himself had also not declared some gifts he had received.

Quax was re-elected to the Auckland Council in 2016. As a councillor, he often spoke against building many houses close together. He also did not support public transportation. He thought Auckland's water company, Watercare Services, should be sold. He was known for having "right wing" political views.

The "Quaxing" Trend

In January 2015, Dick Quax posted a message on Twitter. He said he was surprised that people in Western countries would go shopping by walking, cycling, or using public transport. Many Twitter users responded by creating the hashtag "#quaxing".

This hashtag became very popular. The Public Address website even voted "quaxing" as its word of the year in 2015.

Dick Quax's Family Life

Dick Quax and his family moved to New Zealand from the Netherlands in 1954. He became a New Zealand citizen in 1969.

Quax was married three times. His third marriage was to Roxanne in 1991. He had three children. His son, Theo, was also a talented runner. Theo ran for the NAU Lumberjacks cross country team.

Illness and Passing

In November 2013, it was announced that Dick Quax was being treated for throat cancer. He had been diagnosed with the illness two months earlier.

Dick Quax passed away from cancer in Auckland on May 28, 2018. He was 70 years old.