BYU graduate Rory Linkletter finished 47th place in the 2024 Paris Olympics marathon on Saturday.
Representing Team Canada, Linkletter finished with a time of 2:13:09. Linkletter ran in competition with fellow Cougars Clayton Young and Conner Mantz.
After the race, Linkletter shared in an Instagram story that he was proud that he gave his best effort.
"My result is one I am not ashamed of, but certainly not one I believe illustrates my capabilities," he said. "I've been here before, I'll probably be here again. Hungrier than ever."
To qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rory Linkletter competed in the Seville Marathon in February, where he finished with a personal best time of 2:08:01, the second fastest marathon run by a Canadian.
During his time on the BYU track & field team, Linkletter was a six-time All-American. As a junior, he placed second in the 10,000m at the NCAA Regional Championships.
Linkletter’s first marathon was in October 2019 at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He competed in the marathon at the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships, and finished seventh in another race for the 2022 Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
In the half marathon, Linkletter was the Canadian record holder in the half marathon after running 1:01:08 in Houston in January 2022.
After graduating in 2019, Linkletter became a professional runner, initially signing to run for Hoka, before switching to Puma in 2022.
Before arriving in Paris, Linkletter practiced in Flagstaff, Arizona, before training with the rest of Team Canada in Barcelona, Spain, to acclimatize to the European humidity and to wear off jet lag. Linkletter has been posting a number of YouTube videos detailing his training routine, including a four- week training total of 472.18 miles.
“Going into these Olympic Games I want to prioritize rest in the last 21 days. One workout doesn’t define the build, and I leaned towards less is more,” Linkletter shared in one of his videos after a training regimen.
These training runs imitated the course of the Paris Olympic marathon, with the last 10K flat after crossing a hilly terrain. Linkletter split the regiment into the mile splits that he would run during the event. He then spent four to five days in Paris training.
According to his Instagram, Linkletter spent time in the Olympic village, had a number of dinners with Young and Mantz, and celebrated former teammate Kenneth Rooks' silver medal win in the steeplechase. He was joined by his family for a time while in Paris as well.
In a farewell party before the Games, Linkletter thanked those who had supported him throughout his Olympic journey and his life: family, massage therapists, coaches, etc.
“It takes a village, and I’m really grateful for mine,” Linkletter said in a YouTube video. “It’s a lot easier when you have a ton of support from friends, family, teammates, and loved ones. I’m thankful for everyone in my corner. It’s all worth it when I feel like I’ve got a whole army of people supporting me.”