Rory Linkletter: Mormon Athlete
Rory Linkletter is a distance runner and ran with Brigham Young University. He started running cross country in ninth grade when a friend dragged him to a summer workout. He ran throughout high school in Herriman, Utah, was All-State twice in cross country and four times in track. He was first finisher on Utah’s fastest high school cross country team at state in 2012.
At BYU, Linkletter took second in the men’s 10,000 meters at the June 2017 NCAA National Championships with a time of 29 minutes, 2.96 seconds. Linkletter’s finish is the best by a BYU distance runner since the college days of head coach Ed Eyestone, who won the NCAA national championship in the 10,000 meter in 1985. Linkletter won the West Preliminaries on May 23, 2019, in Sacramento, California, in the 10,000 meters and later placed 15th in the 10,000-meter race. He ended his collegiate career with bests of 13:36.41 for 5,000 meters and 28:12.42 for 10,000 meters.
After his 2019 graduation from BYU, Rory began road racing, increased his distance, and ran in the 2019 Canadian 10,000 meter Championships where he finished third. He was then named to the Canadian team for the 2019 Pan American Games and placed sixth. He placed 15th in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which served as the Canadian Marathon Championships and 2020 Olympic Trials.
He represented Canada in the last two World Athletics Championships. In the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Oregon, he placed 20th with a time of 2:10:24. Linkletter was 18th in summer 2003’s world championships in Budapest, with a time of 2:12:16.
On February 18, 2024, Linkletter finished 13th in the Seville Marathon in Spain, but surpassed the stiff Olympic standard by nine seconds with a time of 2:08:01. "The only way Linkletter could be denied a spot in the Olympic race is if three Canadians surpass his time before May 5. That is highly unlikely. Linkletter’s time Sunday is the third fastest ever by a Canadian."[1]
“It will be incredible to represent my country and my university, as well as compete alongside Clayton and Conner in Paris,” Linkletter said. “I owe a great deal of my success to the foundation laid by Ed Eyestone and the BYU cross-country and track programs.”
Conner Mantz, Clayton Young and Linkletter were teammates on BYU’s 2019 cross-country team, which finished second in the NCAA championships. Linkletter trains with a professional team in Flagstaff, Arizona. Eyestone continues to train Mantz and Young in Provo.
Linkletter was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to Jason Linkletter and Tara Thompson Linkletter. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is married to former BYU athlete Jill van Dielo.
