In this podcast, George Hirsch and Amby Burfoot talk with Clayton Young, who recently finished second in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida. Since Young had run a sensational 2:08:00 in last fall's Chicago Marathon, he is now fully qualified for this summer's Olympic Marathon in Paris.

Indeed Young several times swerved close to the cheering crowds to egg them on, and to see if he could find an American flag to carry to the finish. Yet in the final yards, he let Mantz edge ahead of him to break the tape.

In this interview, Young admits that he could have won the race if he wanted, and that he later agonized for a short time over his decision. He wondered if he had made a mistake. In the end, he says, the "joy of the moment" was more important than winning the marathon. 

Before speaking with Young, George and Amby discuss some important recent news stories including: George's trip to the Barcelona Marathon, the great double wins by Parker Valby and Nico Young in the NCAA indoor championships, and Camile Herron's world-record-setting 6-day race in California during which she covered 560 miles.

After the interview, George noted the growing list of successful marathon runners from Brigham Young University. He was struck that "the runners have a deep appreciation for each other, and for everyone else who contributes. They've built something special that combines the best of team, family, and community ... and it's really powerful."

Amby was impressed with Young's self-confessed "runner nerdiness," and tried to convince him to wear a bro-bra in Paris--one filled with energy gels and ice packs.6

To keep up with Clayton  Young, you can follow him on ⁠Instagram.⁠

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"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.

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Audio engineering by BJ McGeever.