Conner Blair Mantz, age 27, is an American runner who specializes in long-distance events like the Marathon. Mantz ran for Brigham Young University while in college. He won the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in both 2020 and 2021.
In 2024, Mantz won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials race. This victory earned him a spot on the U.S. Marathon team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Since 2021, Mantz has been a professional runner sponsored by the Nike company.
Conner Mantz Is Qualified For 2024 Paris Olympics
The 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials happened on February 3, 2024. Over 1,500 elite marathon runners took part, but only three men and three women could earn spots on the U.S. Marathon team for the Paris Olympics.
In the men’s race, Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, former teammates and current training partners, finished first and second. This secured their places on the Olympic team for Paris. Mantz and Young have been friends and mentors to each other for six years, pushing one another to reach greater heights in marathon running.
Conner Mantz, who recently won first place at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, will be the headliner in the men’s open division at the upcoming United Airlines NYC Half Marathon.
Mantz and his training partner Young, both from Provo, Utah, will line up together at the start in New York. This comes less than two months after they finished first and second at the Olympic Trials in Orlando, qualifying them for the 2024 Paris Games. In 2022, Mantz placed fifth in his first NYC Half. Last year, he became the seventh-fastest American Marathoner ever by running 2:07:47 to finish sixth at the Chicago Marathon. Young finished right behind him in seventh place with 2:08:00, and this will be his first time running the NYC Half.
“I think I can improve a lot in the half Marathon,” “I want to run these half Marathons to gain confidence for Paris. I ran the NYC Half in 2022 and it was probably my first big international race, so it was really good experience that I want to repeat using what I’ve learned.”
Mantz said.
His strong performances have qualified Mantz to compete in the Marathon event at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Conner Mantz’s Date of Birth, Father, Mother, and Early life
Conner Blair Mantz was born on December 8, 1996, in Logan, Utah. His hometown is Smithfield. His father is Robert Mantz, who wrestled at Weber State University, and his mother is Joanna Mantz. He has three siblings named Garrett, Clarissa, and Natha. His great-grandfather, Paul Mantz, was a famous air racing pilot and flight instructor.
Mantz attended Sky View High School in Smithfield, Utah, where he was a three-time All-American at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He also represented the United States in the junior race at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, placing 29th over 8 km and helping Team USA secure a sixth-place finish.
For college, Mantz chose Brigham Young University (BYU)among offers from several institutions, including Princeton and Furman. During his first two years at BYU, being a Mormon, he took a break from running to serve a mission in Ghana. Upon returning in 2017, Mantz redshirted his first year at BYU.
Mantz earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and playing the guitar. Several universities recruited him, including Furman, Oklahoma State, Princeton, Stanford, and Utah State. His height is 175 cm (5 feet 9 inches). His coach was Edward D. Eyestone, a former Olympic Marathoner, long-distance runner, and NCAA coach.
Conner Mantz is happily married to his wife Kylie
Conner Mantz and his wife Kylie got married on October 16, 2022, one week after the 2022 Chicago Marathon. They are sealed in the Provo City Center temple, surrounded by friends and family and the couple even had a FaceTime call from Elder Hall out in Trinidad.
Kylie Mantz was born on June 13. Her hometown is Clovis, California. She attended Buchanan High School.
Kylie’s mother’s name is Annette Rolfson Hall. Her father’s name is not provided. Kylie has four siblings – three brothers and one sister.
Conner Mantz’s Starting of his Career
Before attending Brigham Young University (BYU), Mantz was a top high school runner. He earned All-American honors three times at the Footlocker Cross Country Championships. He was also part of the 2015 USA Junior World Cross Country Championships team. During this time, he served as a full-time missionary in Ghana for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While on his mission, he did not run and gained about 30 pounds. However, after finishing his mission, he trained hard and became faster and stronger.
In 2020, while running for Brigham Young University (BYU), Mantz won the national title at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He won by over 20 seconds with a final time of 29 minutes and 26.1 seconds. This victory ended a streak of wins by international athletes, making Mantz the first American to win the event since Galen Rupp in 2008.
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In 2021, Mantz won the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships again. In that race, he ran the first 5 kilometers in 14 minutes and 16.4 seconds. He then ran the second 5 kilometers in 14 minutes and 16.7 seconds. His total time of 28 minutes and 33.1 seconds set a new course record. This win capped off an undefeated cross-country season for Mantz in college.
On the track, Mantz had some impressive performances. At the UW Invitational in February 2021, he ran 13 minutes and 34.46 seconds for 5,000 meters. This was the fastest time in the world that year. His time also broke BYU’s school record for the indoor 5,000 meters. Later in 2021, Mantz finished second in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Conner Mantz in his Prime, World Championships and Olympics
In September 2022, Mantz won the national championship at the USATF 20-kilometer Road Championships. The following month, he made his debut in the Marathon at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, placing seventh with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds. He was the top American finisher in the race, and his performance was the second-fastest Marathon debut by an American, closely behind Leonard Korir’s debut record of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 56 seconds.
In 2023, at the Boston Marathon, Mantz stayed with the lead pack for most of the race. Running with a large group of leaders, including Eliud Kipchoge, Evans Chebet, and CJ Albertson, Mantz reached the halfway point in 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 20 seconds. By the 20-mile mark, he was 45 seconds behind the five leaders (which included Chebet and Benson Kipruto).
He nearly passed out at mile 24 but managed to stay upright and finish as the third American (11th overall) in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 25 seconds. At the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Mantz finished sixth and was the top American, lowering his personal best by 29 seconds to 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds. His time met the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In 2024, Mantz won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He ran much of the race with his training partner, Clayton Young, who finished second.
