© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
Rory Linkletter’s marathon progression is an interesting story. The Canadian athlete who raced several 10,000-metre events in the 28-minute range pre-2020 has taken to the marathon well.
The now 28-year-old was toiling in the 3000m and 5000m distances while competing for Brigham Young University. However, during the summer of 2014, four days after his 20th birthday, he tested himself in the Mapleton Hobble Creek Half Marathon in Mapleton, UT, clocking 1:08:49. Pretty good. Shades of fellow Canadian Cameron Levins, who is known to rack up high training mileage. His university coach, Eric Houle, was smart enough to get out of his way; oh, those rogue Canadians…
In February of 2025, Linkletter ran the 77th Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon in 1:00:57, just 38 seconds shy of the Canadian record, held by Levins. Linkletter has come a long way. His first marathon was the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2019, where he clocked a solid 2:16:42.
Levins holds the Canadian marathon record of 2:05:36.
Linkletter ran the 2025 Ottawa Marathon and finished in second place to Kenyan Albert Korir, 2:08:22 to 2:08:31. This is fast, but what is interesting is Linkletter was just coming off the 2025 B.A.A. Boston Marathon. In Boston, he ran his fastest marathon at 2:07:02. Now, the time does not officially count, as the Boston Marathon offers a point-to-point course (the finish and start should be located within 25% of the distance of the race from each other). Also, the net downhill is more than the limit of 1m/per km, so Boston in all its glory is not official.
On the other hand, Boston is not the fastest route to run; rather, big city events like Berlin, London and Chicago offer pancake flat courses. So, his 2:07:02 is noteworthy. He finished sixth overall. That was on April 21. Typically, elite marathon runners recover and then race again in four to six months, not weeks later.
Instead, Linkletter opted for the Ottawa Marathon on Sunday, May 25.
One month hence is nothing to a group of marathon runners, such as the Marathon Maniacs, who will run back-to-back marathons like the Hash House Harriers will down beer. But no one is running international times in these groups. And certainly not at their best. The Maniac’s website declares, “This is a club for runners who are crazy about running marathons and are ready to take it to the next level. We aren’t your typical running club, you must first qualify to join the insanity! 3 marathons in 90 days or 2 within 16 days to qualify. Do you have what it takes?”
For anyone like Linkletter who considers racing a sport, rather than a declaration of insanity, will likely run their best with a well-planned out year of two marathons, maybe more. Some international athletes may run four a year.
“This race proved I can compete with the best in the world. It’s what I thought I could’ve done last year after Seville.” In Seville, he ran 2:08:01. But Seville is super fast, similar to Berlin, Chicago and London.
Linkletter is now the second-fastest Canadian marathon runner of all time, behind only Levins, and he is the fastest Canadian all-time on Canadian soil.
However, Levins has also run 2:07:09 on a course that officially qualifies, having run the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. This means that Levins has the first (2:05:36) and second-fastest (2:07:09) times on North American soil by a Canadian.
Linkletter will likely continue to improve. From the town where he was born, Calgary, and across the country, Canadians are cheering for the guy who calls himself “Papalinks” on social media (he is a father).
Linkletter has yet to officially qualify for the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships taking place late this summer. The qualifying standard time is 2:06:30. The championships have a limit of 100 competitors in the marathon event, and only three per country. Fifty per cent will qualify by time, the other by being ranked globally among other factors.
World Athletics may choose to invite Linkletter if he declares his interest. He is good for the sport, so it would be a smart decision on their part. And perhaps, like Levins in Eugene, Linletter may smash out another top-level performance (at a global event). After all, Levins finished in fourth place in Eugene. Despite all he had accomplished leading up to that event, Eugene is a noteworthy performance on his resume.
At the end of the day, Papalinks needs to get to Tokyo in September or get after 2:05:36. Either way, Canadian marathon running wins.
