TOKYO – BYU Track and Field Alumni Clayton Young finished ninth in the Marathon at the 2025 Track and Field World Championships Monday morning.
Young, who represented the United States, set his season high record by finishing in 2:10:43. Despite taking a tumble early in the race he quickly got back up and was able to work his way back to the front where he stayed with the pack the majority of the race. The main pack which consisted of nearly twenty runners began to separate with just four kilometers remaining. The former Cougar then was able to hang on and pass Isaac Mpofu of Zimbabwe in the final stretch to take ninth overall.
"Finishing in the top 10 at this world championship further cements Clayton as one of the world’s most consistent marathoners" said BYU Director of Track and Field Ed Eyestone, "Clayton had a very sound and tactical race. He put himself in the lead pack with the best runners in the world and stuck there despite being tripped and falling hard just after 10k. He bounced right back up and reattached to the leaders. I am very proud of the hard work Clayton put in preparing for the heat and humidity of Tokyo."
Young, who graduated from BYU in 2019, made his Olympic debut and finished ninth overall last year while representing the United States in the Olympic Marathon in Paris, France.
Results for the Marathon can be found here.
BYU Alumni Kenneth Rooks competed in the 3000-meter steeplechase prelims Friday night finishing in a time of 8:45.57. He qualified for the Tokyo World Athletics Championships after taking first overall at the USA Track and Field Championships last month finishing in a time of 8:26.58.
Results for the Steeplechase can be found here.