Clayton Mooney has spent years pushing his limits on trails and backroads, and the Ames ultramarathoner is taking on his biggest challenge yet.
Mooney, who owns Clayton Farms, plans to break the record for fastest run across Iowa, or the Run Across Iowa FKT (Fastest known time), in 2027, the same year he turns 40.
Mooney will follow the old Highway 92 route eastward in southern Iowa, from the Nebraska border near Omaha to Muscatine. The record time for the 276-mile trek is currently held by Collins-Maxwell High School cross country coach Robbie Erickson, who set the mark in March 2025 after running for nearly four days with only a few hours of sleep.
Mooney’s running passion ties to Clayton Farms’ mission
When he’s not logging miles, Mooney is helping run Clayton Farms as a co-founder, a fast‑casual business built around onsite‑grown greens and accessible healthy food…