Clayton Young: Going East | Tokyo World Champs Marathon Build: Episode 1

Define "Elite Level".

Define "Mormon History".

Is there a religious reason or mandate limiting Mormons from being "elite" at a certain age?

haha he's mormon, that's funny

This. Worlds the year after the Olympics always have weak competition.

But will he let someone else win and make a big ostentatious show of it, so we all know he COULD have won?

Rupp was far better than either Mantz or Young. Could you ever see them winning a track silver medal or a marathon Olympic bronze? Or winning Chicago?

The video and thread should probably be titled, "Going West" or "Going to East Asia" since the normal flight route is west across the Pacific.

I agree PB wise. But Albertson is a tough runner and I believe that counts in championship style races. I think CJ is ready for one of those great days.

Without the plate shoes which only 3 people in the race had, I firmly believe Rupp doesn't medal in the marathon. Or Lelisa for that matter. To me it will always have an asterisk. Fair enough with the silver though.

He has a shot at a medal because the fields at the world championships and Olympics are less deep than many of the major marathons. The conditions are also hotter with tougher courses which makes it possible for someone unexpected to medal.

Clayton has proven to be a good runner in the heat, and with less depth from the E African countries, he certainly has a chance to medal.

Downvoter please feel free to argue your point.

Paul Pilkington marathon PB at 31 years old.

I knew this would be an unpopular take. People are critical but have failed to show me world class Mormon marathoners running their best after 32 years of age. It’s a lifestyle (family) issue. They criticize me only presenting 3 examples but present then present zero to refute my point.

I appreciate the downvotes as I recognize that is frustration that can’t be disproved.

Your examples don't prove your points. Paul Pilkington ran some of his best races after 32, and Eyestone continued to represent the USA.

There is not really any frustration on my part. I appreciate the existence of less intelligent people, because is everyone was smart then no one would be.

Attacking someone’s intelligence while still not providing EXAMPLES of the Mormon athletes that ran their FASTEST MARATHONS after the age of 32 proves my point. Both Ed Eyestone and Paul Pilkington ran very well much later than 32 but NEVER ran faster in the marathon. Why? Because lifestyle changed and a marathon is a different animal that requires a different amount of time training. I apologize if you felt like I was saying that Mormon athletes can’t run well later in life. Of course they can. Henry Marsh made four Olympic Teams.

Secondly, attacking someone’s intelligence would be like going after spelling, it has nothing to do with the discussion at hand. It would be like me attacking your last sentence.

He will win the silver medal with PB.

Or maybe bronze in the worst case scenario.

Clayton seems too introspective, thinks a bit too much about the data and recovery scores and what not.

Obviously very consistent and fit but I would love to see the guy get dangerous. Getting on base is great but take a few home run swings. Go for that 2:05- 2:06 with the risk of running 2:19 with some 6:00 miles at the end.

Let the cowboys ride Clayton!!! The fitness is there

Sadly that great day will likely come during a training run.

I "felt like" you were saying that Mormon athletes can't run at an elite level after 32 because that's exactly what you said. You obviously then moved the goalposts to when did they run their PR. Your specific quote was "Mormon history tells us he has 2 years left in the sport at an elite level. Tokyo is probably his last opportunity in a USA kit."

You clearly switched the goalposts because you realized you were wrong. I'm not mad, just don't think we didn't notice. But even with your new modified goalposts, as others clearly pointed out, you're still wrong and your entire premise is flawed. Galen Rupp ran his PR at 31, Ryan Hall at 28. Khalid Khannouchi ran his PR at 30. Dathan Ritzenheim ran his PR at 29. Of the fastest 6 (there's a tie at 5) American record-eligible marathons, none of the runners were over 32.

So then is there some fundamental "lifestyle change" that prevents Americans from running fast marathons after 32? No. That's ludicrous. Runners just tend not to run as fast out of their physical prime as they do within their physical prime. None of your arguments compute even with the shifting of the goalposts. Clayton doesn't need to run a PB at 33 to get another opportunity in a USA kit, in 2027 Beijing for example, which would already disprove your premise. So the shifting of the goalpost itself is illogical. Runners can run at a high level and make teams without running PRs. And if he didn't PR at 33 or older, that would be par for the course for American marathoners.

He went to BYU. What do you expect?