Clayton Young
Clayton Young is an American long-distance runner, who competes for Asics. He ran collegiately for Brigham Young University, and won the 10,000 metres at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He set a personal best of 2:08:00 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, finishing seventh. Young finished second at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, qualifying him for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He improved on his personal best at the 2025 Boston Marathon, running 2:07:04.
Running career
High school and college
Young attended American Fork High School in American Fork, Utah. He is a 2011 All-American at the Nike Cross Nationals. He won the 2010 Utah High School Activities Association 5A Cross Country Championship individual title.While competing for Brigham Young University, he set personal bests of 13:31 for 5000m and 28:18 for 10000m. In 2019, he secured a national title in the 10000m, finishing with a time of 29:16.60.
Professional
After completing his collegiate eligibility at BYU in June 2019, Young turned professional, signing with Asics.He debuted in the marathon at the 2020 United States Olympic trials in Atlanta in a time of 2:29:46, which placed 136th in the field of 235 men.
In his second marathon at the 2021 Chicago Marathon, he set out at 2:12 pace, splitting a time of 1:06:11 through halfway. However over the final few kilometers he faded slightly, still managing a 13 minute personal best finishing in a time of 2:16:07.
Returning Young finished 18th at the 2022 Chicago Marathon in 2:11:51 as the fifth American finisher.
In 2023, he secured national titles in both the 8 km and 20 km US Road Running Championships. At the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Young earned seventh place overall and second American with a time of 2:08:00, a time that met the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:08:10.
Young entered the 2024 United States Olympic trials with the second fasted seed time with his 2:08 mark from the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Young was able to stay with the lead pack as several pre-race favourites fell off the pace and by mile 19, the lead pack consisted of just three men: Zach Panning, Young, and his training partner Conner Mantz. Around mile 22, Panning fell off the pace leaving Young and Mantz as the two leaders. The two celebrated their all but certain qualification for the Olympics through the last few miles. At the finish line, Young allowed Mantz to take the win as both men earned a spot to represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Young finishing in his second best marathon time ever of 2:09:06 to Mantz's 2:09:05.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Young placed ninth in the marathon, one place behind Conner Mantz. A year later at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Young again placed ninth on the global stage.