Clayton Young, the former NCAA champion from BYU, finished ninth in the marathon at the world track and field championships in Tokyo Monday, repeating his placement in last summer’s Paris Olympics.
Young, who graduated from American Fork High, was the top American finisher, clocking a time of 2:10:43.
The race was won by Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania with a time of 2:09:48.
Cameron Levins, a former Southern Utah national champion who now represents Team Canada, finished 12th with a time of 2:11:07.
Dan Michalski, who moved from Colorado to Provo last spring to train under BYU coach Ed Eyestone, also placed ninth in a remarkably slow, tactical 3,000-meter steeplechase final. His time was 8:37.12.
New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish produced a huge upset by running down two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco in the final strides to win the race. Beamish was clocked in 8:33.88, just .07 of a second ahead of El Bakkali. It was by far the slowest winning time in the 42-year history of the world championships. El Bakkali had won four consecutive global championships — two Olympics, two world championships.
Michalski, seeing the slow pace, swept into the lead with 900 meters to go, but was overtaken on the gun lap.
“That was a bold move from that far out,” said Eyestone. “I told him it would go one of two ways — fast from the gun or a jog fest.”
Grant Fisher, the double Olympic bronze medalist who moved to Park City in 2023, finished eighth in the 10,000-meter run at the world track and field championships Sunday.
Like the steeplechase, the race was run at an almost pedestrian pace and turned into a crowded sprint for home. Jimmy Gressier of France was the upset winner, with a time of 28:55.77. Fisher, who won bronze medals in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs at last summer’s Paris Olympics, was timed in 28:57.85.
Nico Young was the top American finisher, placing fifth in 28:56.62.
Lexy Lowry, who completed her eligibility at BYU in the spring, advanced to the finals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase Monday by finishing fifth in her heat and ninth overall. Her time: 9:15.06. All three Americans advanced to Wednesday’s final — Lowry, Kaylee Mitchell and Angelina Napoleon.
