The Personal in the Monumental
- Libby
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Boston Marathon was 6 weeks ago, and with very little happening in Boston sports it seems like the perfect time to reflect on an iconic Boston sports event. The weather was great the day of the race for both the runners and the fans. The elite and the everyday runners put on a show, leaving everyone inspired.
Clayton Young
However, one story stands out from the rest. That is the story of Clayton Young. He has made his mark on the running world, and specifically that of the marathon. He turned pro in 2019, after running track in college. He has competed in several world major marathons,
including the 2024 Olympic Trials, where he finished second behind fellow training partner Connor Mantz. He punched his ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he had a gutsy performance and placed 9th overall.
At the age of 32, Clayton is in the peak of his career, and looks to build on past success as the LA 2028 Olympic Trials creep closer. He is supported in this endeavor by his wife Ashley, and their two daughters. Though not licensed, Ashley has taken on the role of nutritionist, and regularly posts food updates throughout his builds. Ashley and their two daughters are some of his biggest fans and cheerleaders.
A New Chapter
His past success isn’t what makes him an inspiration to runners and nonrunners alike. It's his story of perseverance, strength and resilience. These are the attributes that have been on full display in his build and preparation for the Boston Marathon. In November of 2025, he announced that he had been dealing with an injury. He had been training for the Valencia marathon, but had to pull out of the race due to injury complications.
This injury ended up lasting 18 weeks, cutting into the preparation for the Boston Marathon. He was left with only nine weeks for his build. Instead of giving up he continued with the plan, training and building mileage as best as he could, after coming off his injury. In an interview with The Running Effect he said,
“Out of injury comes this deep sense of gratitude. Something that you took for granted becomes that much more valuable. Everything was just progress. Anything was progress. It was just fueling this fire of joy of running. This is why I love running.”
Clayton’s love of the sport was evident as he ran, moving outside of the pack so that he could give high fives to fans around mile 20.
Well Worth It
Despite the setbacks, injuries and only having nine weeks of training, Clayton showed up to the start line ready to put on a show. And what a show it was! The Boston Marathon saw the fastest times in over a decade. John Korir was a repeat winner from 2025, winning back-to-back races. This time he beat the record by nearly a minute, posting a time of 2:01:52. It was a magical day in elite running. Clayton was part of the magic. Lining up the start line was a win in and of itself, but he was still determined to put on a show. He ran an 83 second personal best with a time of 2:05:41. After the race he told news outlets, that “With only nine weeks of training… I was really happy to be a 2:05 guy.” What an inspiring run. Yet he is hungry for more. Despite running a PB, he placed 11th, ending his streak of being in the 10 top. He wrote on instagram that he was “disappointed” that he broke his streak.
The good and the bad all rolled into one build and one race. A PB without a full build, but just shy of a top 10 finish leaves mixed emotions in its wake. Not quite satisfied might be exactly what he needs to reach higher and continue to improve. Much is still to come, as Clayton builds for the LA 2028 Olympic trials. Excited to see what he can accomplish with a full build. He documents it all on his YouTube channel, if you want to follow along.
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