Time stamp:
- 4:15 – First thoughts after running an Olympic-standard marathon.
- 7:56 – Analysis of the race at the Seville Marathon.
- 9:15 – Thoughts on time trial racing and championship style racing.
- 10:25 – Explaining the different stages of his race.
- 12:29 – Sharing about the last few miles of the race.
- 13:45 – Family racing and race strategy with Ryan Hall.
- 15:43 – A perspective on increasing speed in marathon training.
- 17:37 – Insights on BYU cross country training with Ed Eyestone.
- 20:30 – Why he chose Ryan Hall as his coach + Hall’s coaching philosophy.
- 23:40 – More on Hall and his training group with his teammates.
- 27:46 – Thoughts on training effort management and recovery.
- 29:31 – Canadian marathon scene.
- 31:48 – Waiting to be officially selected to the Canadian Olympic team.
- 33:26 – Thoughts on the Paris Olympics marathon course.
- 35:45 – Training on Flagstaff’s legendary hills.
- 37:33 – Olympic goal.
- 39:18 – Thoughts on the competition.
- 41:25 – How does he think Connor Muntz and Clayton Young will perform at the Olympics?
- 43:54 – Rivalry with Clayton Young.
- 46:24 – He was the most nervous before the race and the most intimidating competitor I've ever faced.
- 47:17 – The race that made him believe in himself as an athlete.
- 47:55 – If he could go back in time, this is the race he would run again.
- 49:52 – Best advice a coach ever gave him.
The following interview excerpts have been lightly edited for clarity. You can listen to the full interview with Rory Linkletter on the CITIUS MAG podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to shows.
CITIUS MAG: From an athlete's perspective, time trials can be a little cavalier. There's less pressure than competing for position. If this race had been formatted like the Olympic Trials, it would have definitely been a little more tense. But for you, was it relaxing in a way to just look at the clock and check your splits?
Rory Linkletter: I don't think time trials are a natural running condition for me. I think I'm more of a racer than a time trialist. The truth is, historically I don't do my best in those types of races. The weather was nice that day, and I was in good physical condition, so it went well. It had a great build. It's just one of those things. You go out, find your group, and just get locked in. Maybe it's boring, but I feel like I was so into it because of how much was at stake for me. I didn't feel bored at any point. Honestly, it was the fastest marathon I've ever done from my own perspective, thanks to the fact that I was very adjusted to my splits and position within the group.
CITIUS MAG: What's the best advice your coach gave you? Give people wisdom. Who was it and what advice was it?
Rory Linkletter: Coach Eyestone has a lot of fun clichés. What all of his athletes keep in mind is that “consistent ability ultimately leads to excellence.” He would call it C squared equals E squared. The general rule is that if he is consistently competent at what he does, he will eventually become great at what he does. I think that applies to my career as well. I'm finally starting to see the fruits of my efforts, but I feel like I've been working at a high level for a really long time, and I'm thinking to myself, “I'm better than my time and myself.'' . You can tell by my performance that I just haven't put it together yet.'' I'm sure every long-distance runner feels the same way. But it's finally starting to click, and I'm excited about what it means.
Here's how Rory thinks the Olympic marathon will pan out and what his goals are for the Olympics.
Rory Linkletter: There will be considerable attrition. That depends on how the race unfolds. You have to get lucky. My view is that everyone who thinks they should win a medal is going to run for it. I'm going to check my fitness and then run the best marathon I can that day… There are two ways to think about it: I can run like CJ Albertson, or I can be a hero. You can, and you can try to be a top runner. as much as possible. People will obviously admire it.
Alternatively, you can reflect on your current fitness and course and try to run the race to the best of your ability without worrying about what others are doing. You probably choose the latter because you think it gives you the best chance of achieving your goal of ranking. I want to be in the top 10 at the Olympics. I think that's a big accomplishment. I think if you do it perfectly and you're lucky, that's really realistic. So my head is there.
About the North American marathon world:
Rory Linkletter: I watched the Olympic Trials and thought, “Man, I wish I was an American so I could beat those guys.'' I was angry. Not because (Connor Muntz and Clayton Young) made the team, but because I thought, “I wish I could compete with those guys.” I feel like I missed out on such a great race. So I'm really looking forward to (playing against them). Obviously, I see myself within the sport of Canada and the North American running scene in general. I tried to group them. I want to be the top dog not only in Canada but also in North America.
I want to be one of the best marathoners in North America. And once I climb that mountain, I want to do my best to become one of the best in the world. You have to take it one step at a time. Where I am now, I feel like I am nearing the top of the North American Marathon. They are top dogs at the moment, at least in terms of hype and recent activity. But I never had a chance to run that race. With all my fitness so far, I felt like I was ready to do some pretty cool things.
