How Rory Linkletter ran a personal best at the Boston Marathon

For Canadian marathoner Rory Linkletter, his sixth-place finish at the 2025 Boston Marathon wasn’t just a career milestone—it was a breakthrough. The 28-year-old ran the fastest marathon of his life, clocking 2:07:02, and proved to himself that he belongs with the best in the world.

In a vlog posted to his YouTube channel, Linkletter gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at his training, race strategy and emotions from the Boston Marathon weekend. “This race proved I can compete with the best in the world,” he reflects. “It’s what I thought I could’ve done last year after Seville.”

Heading into Boston, Linkletter told The Shakeout Podcast that his goal was to finish top 10 at a marathon major for the first time. He knew he was in the best shape of his life—it was just a matter of executing. “I was willing to go out faster than I’ve ever gone out,” he said in the video. “I knew if I was around 62 minutes and I wasn’t crawling, I’d run a fast time.”

Even though the strategy was bold, he followed through on the plan, hitting the halfway point with the lead group in 61:54. From there, the race became a matter of survival as he fought to maintain his pace through the Newton Hills, including the infamous Heartbreak Hill.

With less than two miles to go, Linkletter was locked in a three-man chase pack with U.S. Olympian Clayton Young, his former collegiate teammate, and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana. As they charged toward the final right turn onto Hereford Street, Linkletter made his move. “Let’s tango,” he supposedly said to Young, before outkicking both men to take sixth place and US$13,500.

Meet the Puma shoe that propelled Canada’s Rory Linkletter to a marathon best

The finish was more than just a tactical affair—it was emotional. Linkletter shared the finish-line moment with his wife, Jill, and son, Jace. “I cried,” he said. “I wanted the people in my corner to be there—it was a special day.”

Linkletter added that the only other time he felt the same level of emotion was in Seville, when he hit the Olympic standard to qualify for Paris 2024. “I brought my family to Seville because I wanted them to be there. But this… this was different. I don’t think I could’ve had the same emotion if they weren’t at the finish in Boston.”

To watch Linkletter’s full video from Boston, head to or subscribe to his YouTube page. The 28-year-old will jump back into the marathon distance at the end of the month, taking on the 2025 Ottawa Marathon on Sunday, May 25.