{"id":175056,"date":"2025-04-18T10:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T10:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/18\/what-if-us-olympian-conner-mantz-has-his-sights-set-on-boston-marathon-podium\/"},"modified":"2025-04-18T10:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T10:00:07","slug":"what-if-us-olympian-conner-mantz-has-his-sights-set-on-boston-marathon-podium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/18\/what-if-us-olympian-conner-mantz-has-his-sights-set-on-boston-marathon-podium\/","title":{"rendered":"What if? US Olympian Conner Mantz has his sights set on Boston Marathon podium"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Every now and then, Conner Mantz allows his mind to drift back to the same stretch of last November\u2019s New York City Marathon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Around 16 miles in, coming off the Queensborough Bridge into Manhattan, the lead pack accelerated. Mantz, starting to feel uncomfortable, let the other runners go.<\/p>\n

But grinding through to the end, he finished strong \u2013 with the fastest final mile in the top 10 \u2013 and crossed the line with enough in the tank to leave that dangerous question, as old as time itself. What if?<\/p>\n

\u201cHad I gone with that move, maybe I would have blown up,\u201d Mantz told the Guardian in an interview. \u201cBut maybe I would have been there fighting for the win at the end.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would rather be there, risking it a little bit more, so that at the end I can try and win, than getting a safe [result]: always ending up in the top eight, but never being in the top three.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year was an extraordinary one for the 28-year-old, who won the US Olympic marathon trials<\/a> in February; finished eighth<\/a>, as top American, at the Olympic marathon in August; and finished sixth in New York<\/a> in November.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span> Photograph: Mike Ehrmann\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He is seen, understandably, as a serious contender for Monday\u2019s Boston Marathon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe competitor that he is, I feel like he has a great chance of podium, for sure,\u201d said Meb Keflezighi, who won Boston in 2014 \u2013 the first American man to do so in three decades<\/a> \u2013 and New York in 2009. \u201cDon\u2019t count him out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mantz, by his own admission, gives himself a hard time. \u201cYou sound like you ran terrible,\u201d a former college teammate commented after the trials last February. \u201cBut you won.\u201d<\/p>\n

He had struggled through the final stages of the race, in lockstep with his training partner Clayton Young, who ultimately allowed him to take the win. \u201cI may have beaten Clayton. But in my mind, he demolished me,\u201d said Mantz.<\/p>\n

And while Paris last summer and New York in the fall solidified his position as one of the brightest hopes in US distance running, he left both feeling disappointed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d had a lot of self-belief heading into New York and the Olympics,\u201d said Mantz. \u201cAnd when both of those \u2026\u201d He paused, catching himself. \u201cNot that they went poorly, but I think just kind of missed this \u2026\u201d He trailed off. \u201cI expected to do a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York stung. After Paris, Mantz believed he had taken a big leap in training: his workouts stronger, his mileage higher, and his recoveries quicker. \u201cI thought that would come together \u2026 and I\u2019d do something really big that day,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mantz was only beaten in New York by four former champions and an Olympic silver medalist, who won. But accomplished goals \u2013 like making the Olympics, and being top American in four consecutive marathons \u2013 are overshadowed, at least in his mind, by ones that remain out of reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil he\u2019s at the level of Eliud Kipchoge<\/a> in his prime, winning everything and running faster at everything, I think there is going to be that sense of wanting more,\u201d said Ed Eyestone, the two-time Olympian and Brigham Young University (BYU) coach who trains Mantz and Young. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes him so competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year has been \u201cpretty seamless for Conner thus far,\u201d added Eyestone. Mantz shattered the US men\u2019s half marathon record<\/a> in Houston in January, narrowly missing out<\/a> on victory. He ran a few seconds faster in March at the New York City Half Marathon, organized by New York Road Runners, coming second.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of New York Road Runners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan in the New York City Half, Mantz felt in control. He focused on execution \u2013 making and meeting moves that defined the race \u2013 and leaving no room to wonder what might have been. \u201cThat might have been the best race I\u2019ve ever run,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Both performances helped boost his confidence that he may well pull off something really big, soon. A fast, flat, record-eligible marathon \u2013 Chicago, Berlin, or even Valencia \u2013 may well come later in the year. \u201cBreaking the record in the half gave me a lot more confidence that I could do it in the full.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, though, all eyes are on Boston: a notoriously punishing course, where no American man has won since Keflezighi, in 2014. Des Linden became the first American woman to win the race in three decades in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I could be an American winner,\u201d said Mantz, who stressed his primary aim is to podium. Sixth is his best finish at a World Major marathon to date. \u201cFifth is kind of next step,\u201d he added. \u201cBut I think I\u2019m strong enough that I think I can be top three.\u201d<\/p>\n

The world\u2019s oldest annual marathon attracts a stacked elite field. Other men on the start line this year include reigning champion Sisay Lemma; two-time champion Evans Chebet; and a host of strong US athletes, including Young and CJ Albertson.<\/p>\n

When Mantz last ran Boston, in 2023, he finished 11th. \u201cHe\u2019s a different person now,\u201d observed Keflezighi. \u201cHe has closed that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of what happens, Conner Mantz will be in that lead pack for as long as he can,\u201d said Eyestone. \u201cAs long as he can put one foot in front of the other, at the pace that\u2019s being dictated, he will be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mantz, who studied mechanical engineering at BYU, served as a missionary in Ghana for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before college. He credits the experience, and his faith, with giving him perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt taught me athletics and sports, it can\u2019t be something that defines you. Because, to be quite honest, most people don\u2019t care,\u201d he said, with a brief laugh. \u201cI love this sport. I have so much fun doing it. But there\u2019s so much more important things in this life.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a \u201chealthy level\u201d of obsession, added Mantz, who concedes he spent his fair share of time on the wrong side of this line. But nowadays, even as he dedicates more time than ever to running, thinking about running, and talking about running, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m as obsessed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mantz has worked with a sports psychologist on expectations \u2013 and the pain and possibility presented by each marathon. \u201cYou should expect there\u2019s going to be times in the race, whether it\u2019s going to be 5K or 10K, that are going to be very difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

But you should try to turn up with a bit of curiosity, excitement, \u201cand less expectations on yourself\u201d, he continued. \u201cWhat could happen if I make this move, or I push the pace here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Forget what might have happened if everything fell into place last time around. What\u2019s going to happen now?<\/p>\n

His objective for Boston \u2013 and every race, he insists \u2013 is the podium, rather than victory. This goal \u201cusually negates a little bit of what other people are doing,\u201d he said. He can run his own race, and worry \u201cjust a tiny bit\u201d less about the rest of the pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning every race? I just, I don\u2019t know who\u2019s more talented, I don\u2019t know who\u2019s training better, I don\u2019t know \u2013 I hope noone\u2019s cheating, but, you know, we know how our sport is, and a lot of people dope,\u201d said Mantz. \u201cBut top three is a nicer goal for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did have my best race of my life and finished second\u201d at the New York City Half last month, he noted. \u201cAnd if I\u2019m disappointed because I didn\u2019t win, when maybe the guy ahead of me is just more talented and harder working than me, or just as hard working and just as talented, but he just had a better day, I can\u2019t really do anything about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next week in Boston, his sights are set on what he can control. Whatever happens, Mantz is determined not to finish wondering what might have been.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Every now and then, Conner Mantz allows his mind to drift back to the same stretch of last November\u2019s New York City Marathon. Around 16 miles in, coming off the Queensborough Bridge into Manhattan, the lead pack accelerated. Mantz, starting to feel uncomfortable, let the other runners go. But grinding through to the end, he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6802],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-175056","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-athetics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}