Who is Clayton Young’s Coach?

Clayton Young is an American long-distance runner. He was born on September 14, 1993. He had his personal best of 2:8:00 at the Chicago Marathon in 2023 and the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships where he won the 10,000 meters. Young made his qualifying spot for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris after he was placed second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. He was a 2011 Nike Cross Nationals All-American and had completed high school at American Fork High School.

In June 2019, Young moved from college sports to professional one when he got a contract with Asics. He made his marathon debut the day he ran the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta. He claimed the US Road Running Championships titles for the 80 and 20-kilometer distances in 2023. Young met the Olympic qualifying requirement of 02:08:10, took 2nd place overall, and 8th place among the Americans at the Chicago Marathon in 2023 with a 02:08:00 time.

Young took the place on the starting line of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with the second-fastest seed time. Young and Mantz, his training partner, both qualified for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Clayton Young’s Coach

Clayton Young is coached by Ed Eyestone, a two-time Olympic Marathon star, a distance runner as well as an NCAA coach.

Ed Eyestone competed in the marathon at the Olympics in 1988 and 1992. Eyestone was a distance runner who attended Brigham Young University and earned a masters’ degree in exercise science from the school. He won NCAA titles in cross-country, 10,000 m, and 5,000 m while attending BYU. After entering into professionals, Eyestone mainly did road running.

However, he helped the US team to four consecutive team medals from 1983 to 1986 at the International Cross-Country Championships and won silver in 1983-84 and bronzes in 1985-86. Eyestone's two greatest victories on the road came in the Peachtree Road Race in 1991 and the 1986 Bay-to-Breakers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In an interview with LetsRun, after watching Conner Mantz and Clayton Young finish first and second at the Olympic Marathon Trials, BYU track coach Ed Eyestone said: “We all have great days in our lives. Mine were getting married, the birth of my six daughters. This will go down as a great day, too. I’ll have a smile on my face for the next five months.”

Ed Eyestone’s Parents

Bob and Virginia Eyestone are the parents of Ed Eyestone.

Both parents of Ed Eyestone hold postgraduate degrees. All five of their children excelled academically and were awarded scholarships for writing, music, drama, and athletics just like their well-educated and accomplished parents. Later on, the Eyestone children went on to become singers, architects, actors, writers, musicians, beauty queens, and runners as documented in the book "Trials and Triumphs."

Virginia Eyestone, Ed's mother, came from a family of Mormon pioneers. Eyestone explained: “My mom’s side all hoofed it across the plains. Most notably, Edward Shields Reid, who was born in Wales and came across the plains in 1861 at the age of 2, much of it astride his father Edward Reid’s shoulders. Apparently, the Reids are known for their endurance.”

Ed Eyestone’s Wife

Ed Eyestone is married to Lynn Eyestone and is the father of six daughters. On 15 May 2017, Keystone shared an image with his family on Instagram wishing Lynn Mother’s Day. The Caption to the post read: “Celebrating Mother's Day with the fantastic mother of my daughters, Lynn! Thanks for raising such smart, strong, beautiful women! We love you!”

As of May 2024, details about their wedding date and duration of marriage are not publicly known.

Ed Eyestone’s Coaching Career

Ed Eyestone started his coaching career at Weber State University as an assistant coach from 1996 to 1998. In 2000, Eyestone joined BYU as an assistant coach for men's track and head coach of the cross-country team. In 2013, he was promoted to head coach of the track program. Coach

Eyestone has coached 47 All-Americans in distance events in individual and relay. Five of Eyestone's distance runners have won national championships which include Kenneth Rooks in the 2023 steeplechase, Clayton Young in the 2019 10,000m, Miles Batty in the 2011 mile, Kyle Perry in the 2009 steeplechase, and Josh McAdams in the 2006 steeplechase. He has coached the distance medley relay national champions at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. He has coached former BYU track and field athlete Jared Ward to place sixth in the marathon at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Eyestone was named head coach of Team USA at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda. He has coached BYU alums Clayton Young and Conner Mantz to secure a spot on Team USA in the marathon for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. He has coached alum Christian Allen who finished fourth for Team USA at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships.

Eyestone coached the National Championship team to the first title in program history in 2019. He has led BYU to 17 conference titles which include eight in the Mountain West Conference in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, and nine in the West Coast Conference in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

He has coached 17 All-Americans who have earned 27 All-America honors. After taking over the program in 2000, Eyestone has led BYU to a top-25 finish at the NCAA Championships in each season, including top-10 finishes in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has coached BYU to 14 top-three finishes in the Mountain Region Championships which include titles in 2009 and 2011. He has coached two runners to three NCAA Individual National Championships in Josh Rohatinsky in 2006 & Conner Mantz in 2020, and 2021.

Ed Eyestone Record

• Two-time Olympian (1988, 1992).

• Five-time U.S. Road Racer of the Year.

• Eight-time member of the U.S. Cross Country Team in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Ed Eyestone Awards & Achievement

• His name was added to the BYU Hall of Fame Inductee (1998)

• He was named the 2012 Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year in Men's Track and Field.

• He was recognized as the 2019 Coach of the Year after winning an NCAA championship with his team.

• He has mentored 17 All-Americans who won 27 All-America titles.

• He was Coach of the Year for the WCC Men's Cross Country seven times in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

• He was Six-time MWC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2002, and from 2004 till 2008.

• He was named the 2009 Mountain Region Coach of the Year in Men's Cross Country.

• He was awarded the Governor's State of Sport Award for Collegiate "Coach of the Year" in the State of Utah in 2020.

Image of Ed Eyestone and Clayton Young.