Conner Mantz is the fastest male in the United States over 26.2 miles. The 28-year-old track and field star set the American record in the half marathon earlier this year with the marathon record in his sights.
His advice for how to train for his best event is diabolical.
Mantz suggests that you should run extremely fast for as long as you can until you get to the desired distance. It is not a good idea, but it is also not a bad one.
Who is Conner Mantz?
A native of Utah, Mantz competed in track and field for BYU from 2017 to 2021. He won back-to-back national titles in Cross Country as a junior and senior, and finished as the runner-up in the 10,000 meters prior to graduation.
As soon as Conner Mantz got his diploma, it was off to senior competition. His fifth-place finish at the Olympic Trials in 2021 was a promising start for an up-and-comer in the sport. His victory at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships later that year proved he is a legitimate threat on the 13- and 26-mile distances.
2024 was a breakout year for the fast-rising American phenom. Mantz won a national championship in the marathon to qualify for the the Paris Olympics, where he finished eighth overall, and he did so with a two-inch tear in one of his quad muscles.
Mantz was in great form to begin the 2025 season. He set the American record in the half marathon in January at 59:17.
He later won $10,000 with an insane come-from-behind chase down in front of 50,000 rowdy fans in Boulder. It was a strong first half of the year.
Onto the next record!
The national record in the marathon is also in reach for Mantz. His fourth-place finish at the Boston Marathon in April was the best by an American since 2011. His time of was just 10 seconds off the pace.
Conner Mantz ran with the lead pack until the final 10,000 meters, when John Korir of Kenya broke off from the group. That left him alongside Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania and Cyprian Kimurgor Kotut of Kenya.
Simbu and Kotut picked up their pace over the last mile and dropped Mantz to fourth. They had a photo finish for second and third. Mantz crossed the line in fourth place with a personal best time of 2:05:08.
Training like a champion is not for the weak.
Conner Mantz recently documented one of his runs on Strava. He went 24.03 miles at an average pace of five minutes, 35 seconds per mile, produced an average power output of 369 watts, gained 354 feet in elevation and burned 1,682 calories. No big deal.
Part of the run featured a four-mile pickup at 4:42, 4:39, 4:38 and 4:34. Mantz said it was a fun crew and he felt great.
Two-time Mountain West champion Sam Gilman responded to the post on Strava with a simple question. “Do you have any tips for someone like me who is training for their first marathon?”
Mantz told him to “run 5k pace as long as you can every day. Eventually you’ll get to a marathon distance and it will be easy.”
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh… WHAT?? That is downright diabolical! Technically speaking, the advice might actually work. The first-time marathon runner would eventually get to 26.2 over time.
Logically speaking, that advice is insane. Conner Mantz mighte be joking but…. is he really?!