Following Sunday’s results, former BYU runners now have the fastest and third-fastest American times for the distance.
Two former BYU runners finished in the top 10 of the 2026 Houston Half Marathon on Sunday — and made history while they were at it.
Casey Clinger finished fifth with a time of 59:34 on Sunday in his half marathon debut. The 27-year-old Clinger was the second American to cross the finish line, 11 seconds behind 25-year-old Alex Maier.
The result makes Clinger, who left BYU to turn pro in April 2025, the third-fastest American of all-time in the half marathon.
It also means that former BYU runners now have the fastest and third-fastest American times for the distance.
Conner Mantz set the record at the 2025 Houston Half Marathon, breaking the 18-year-old record by 26 seconds, per CITIUS Mag.
NUMBER 3 ALL-TIME 👏
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) January 11, 2026
Casey Clinger’s half marathon debut goes incredibly well, as the 27-year-old runs 59:34 for fifth place at the 2026 Houston Half Marathon.
Along with Conner Mantz’s American record, BYU coaching guru Ed Eyestone has now guided two of the three fastest half… pic.twitter.com/NHaEgRIU3c
Habtom Samuel, who just won the NCAA cross-country national championship in November, won the half marathon with a time of 59:01.
Rory Linkletter sets Canadian record — again
On Sunday, Clinger was also joined by fellow former Cougar Rory Linkletter in the top 10.
Linkletter finished seventh with a time of 59:49 and became the first Canadian to run the half marathon in under an hour, according to Canadian Running.
HISTORY MADE 🇨🇦
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) January 11, 2026
Rory Linkletter becomes the first Canadian ever to break 60 minutes in the half marathon, knocking an enormous 29 seconds off Cam Levins’s three-year old record with a 59:49 run for 7th place at the 2026 Houston Half Marathon. pic.twitter.com/kUbX0r2rKg
He shattered Cam Levins’ previous record by 29 seconds, making him the fastest Canadian in the half marathon.
“Breaking 60 (minutes) is big, it means a lot,” he told CBC Sports following the race. “I knew I could do it but to be the first Canadian, that will always mean something. I think it pairs well with the path I’m on (in the marathon).”
Linkletter previously held the Canadian record for the distance four years ago.
In 2022, Linkletter set the record at the Houston Half Marathon with a time of 1:01:08, surpassing the previous record by 20 seconds, per CBC Sports.
“I think Houston is a place I only go to when I want to run fast, so it just feels like that sort of stage for me,” Linkletter said Sunday.
Ten months later in October 2022, Ben Flanagan broke Linkletter’s record after running the distance in 61 minutes at the Valencia Half Marathon.
Then in February 2023, Levins usurped Flanagan’s record with a time of 1:00:18, according to CBC Sports.
Now, the record belongs to Linkletter again.
Category: General Sports
