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âHappy to be a 2:05 guyâ: Former BYU star Clayton Young runs the race of his life at Boston Marathon
TL;DR
Clayton Young, former BYU star and Olympic marathoner, achieved a personal record of 2:05:41 at the Boston Marathon despite an ankle injury that sidelined him for 18 weeks. He finished 11th, ending a streak of top-10 finishes.
Key points
- Clayton Young ran the Boston Marathon on April 20, 2026.
- He achieved a personal record of 2:05:41.
- Young was sidelined for 18 weeks due to an ankle injury.
- He finished 11th, ending a streak of six top-10 finishes.
- Young expressed happiness about being a '2:05 guy.'
Mentioned in this story
BYU
Clayton YoungBoston Marathon
Runners stride down Boylston Street while approaching the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Boston. | Charles Krupa, Associated Press
Only a few weeks ago, Clayton Young, the Olympic marathoner and former BYU national champion, was uncertain he would be able to compete in Mondayâs Boston Marathon. For 18 weeks â until mid-February â he was unable to run because of an ankle injury. He decided to run anyway.
That made his performance all the more remarkable. Young finished with a personal-record time of 2:05:41 â his previous best was 2:07:04 on this same course a year ago. It is a commentary on how ridiculously fast this era of distance running is that Young placed only 11th, ending his streak of top-10 finishers at six, dating back to 2023.
âIâm really happy to be a 2:05 guy,â he told the Deseret News after the race. âTo be honest Iâm a little disappointed to take 11th â it breaks my streak of top-10 finishes. But, yeah, Iâm a 2:05 guy.â
That time makes him the fifth-fastest American ever, including point-to-point courses (such as Boston). Only loop courses count for official records.
African-born runners claimed the first six places in Mondayâs 130th running of the Boston Marathon. Kenyaâs John Korir was the winner with a course-record time of 2:01:51 â the sixth fastest all-courses time ever. The first three finishers were all under 2:03.
Young was the top finisher among native-born Americans. Zouhair Talbi, a native Moroccan who has gained U.S. citizenship, was fifth, and Charles Hicks, a British-American â was seventh.
Rory Linkletter, Youngâs former BYU teammate, was 14th with a personal-record time of 2:06:04.
Kodi Kleven, a former Utah Valley University and BYU runner from Mount Pleasant, was 14th in the womenâs race with a personal-record time of 2:24:48. She is the three-time St. George Marathon champion and course recordholder. She has joined coach Ed Eyestoneâs training group.
Q&A
What was Clayton Young's finishing time at the Boston Marathon?
Clayton Young finished the Boston Marathon with a personal record time of 2:05:41.
How did Clayton Young's performance at the Boston Marathon compare to his previous best?
Young's previous best was 2:07:04, which he achieved on the same course a year prior.
Why was Clayton Young uncertain about competing in the Boston Marathon?
He was uncertain due to an ankle injury that prevented him from running for 18 weeks leading up to the event.
What place did Clayton Young finish in at the Boston Marathon?
Clayton Young finished in 11th place, breaking his streak of top-10 finishes that dated back to 2023.
