Clayton Young Reveals Hamstring Tear, Still Plans To Chase American Record At 2026 Chicago Marathon

“I called my shot. I’m confident in my ability to still chase the American record. I’ve already learned so much this build that it’s already been a success.” My guest today is Brooks professional marathoner and Suunto-supported athlete Clayton Young, joining us two weeks before the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Earlier this spring, Clayton finished 11th at Boston in 2:05:41 after a ten-week build that followed a significant injury and a change in sponsors. He’s spent months preparing for Chicago with a bigger goal in mind: chasing Conner Mantz’s American marathon record of 2:04:43. Part of that ambition came from watching Josh Kerr call his shot at the mile world record. Clayton took to heart the idea of creating the conditions for a breakthrough, and he’s written the same declaration in his journal every day: “I, Clayton Young, will break the American record on October 11th, 2026 at the Chicago Marathon.” But his tune-up at the Great North Run didn’t go as planned, and he had an MRI afterward. For the first time, Clayton shares the extent of the injury and what it means for Chicago. We also talk about the psychology of stating his goal publicly, the data behind his training decisions, how Coach Eyestone has adapted, and what Clayton makes of Chicago competitors Charles Hicks and Vinny Mauri. He explains why this race feels different from Boston—and what he wants spectators to yell when they see him on the course. We discuss: – The daily journal ritual – Having fun is a skill he has had to practice – Josh Kerr’s mile world record as the direct inspiration for calling his shot with the American record attempt – The contrasting psychologies with Charles Hicks – Dr. Craig Manning and the purpose of a goal – Abundant mentality on the field – Coach Eyestone’s adaptations to recent success by other runners – The data gathering from Commons Clinic, Stride, Suunto, Brooks Sports Research Lab – The build being the best training of his career– The injury and the first public disclosure of its extent – What it means for the 2026 Chicago Marathon – What he learned from The Great North Run – What to yell on course for him More Take this interview on-the-go in podcast form: APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IUs... ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://olipop.pxf.io/GmBDD6 SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. https://suunto.pxf.io/7XBXMA KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app here: https://kaizen.app.link/citius FOLLOW CITIUS MAG ▶ Subscribe to the podcast: https://apple.co/3Byp72I ▶ On Twitter: Twitter: CitiusMag ▶ On Instagram: Instagram: citiusmag ▶ On Facebook: Facebook: citiusmag ▶ Support us on Patreon: Patreon: citiusmag ▶ On our website: http://citiusmag.com