THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST Clayton Young: A Doctor Told Him His Career Might Be Over — How a 2:08 Olympian Turned a Near Career-Ending Injury Into His Biggest Comeback Yet
Clayton Young fell early at the Marathon World Championships, and still finished as the top American. He also ran 2:07:04 at Boston (the fastest marathon of his life), and somehow it still felt like there was more in the tank.
Since 2024, he’s been everywhere that matters: including 2nd in the U.S. Olympic Trials, 9th at the Paris Olympics, 7th in New York, 7th in Boston, and 9th in Tokyo. This man is stacking top-10 finishes on the biggest stages in the sport of marathon running.
And now, with Tokyo, Boston, and Berlin lined up in 2026, he’s not just racing majors, it appears that he’s chasing history as he closes in on becoming a Six Star finisher.
Clayton was the 2019 NCAA Champion in the 10,000m while at BYU. He’s a native of American Fork, Utah, and is a mechanical engineer by profession, often sharing detailed training data through partnerships with brands like Stryd.
He runs professionally for ASICS and is coached by Ed Eyestone at Brigham Young University, his former college coach.
Clayton’s career is a masterclass in durability, humility, and quiet progression.
Clayton Young isn’t chasing attention.
He’s chasing excellence.
Tap into the Clayton Young Special.
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