The Final Build: A Candid Conversation with Conner Mantz 9 Weeks Before His American Record Attempt At The 2025 Chicago Marathon

What do you do after running 2:05 at the Boston Marathon? If you’re Conner Mantz, you get back to work. The American half-marathon record holder (59:17 in Houston) and the fastest American ever on Boston’s storied marathon course (2:05:08) is locked in on Chicago this fall. Earlier in 2024, Conner made his Olympic debut in Paris, where he delivered a gutsy, top-10 finish in brutal conditions—proving he belongs on the biggest stage in the sport. Coached by Ed Eyestone and training at altitude in Provo, Utah, Conner is building toward another breakthrough. His summer block has been quietly brutal: long progressive runs that close near race pace, back-to-back workouts with tight recovery windows, and high-volume consistency that only a few can handle. Before turning pro in late 2021, Conner was one of the most dominant collegiate runners of his generation. At BYU, he won back-to-back NCAA cross country individual titles and helped lead the Cougars to national team glory in 2019. That grit, that consistency, and that team-first mindset still drive him today. His resume speaks for itself: he’s run 59:17 in the half marathon, 2:05:08 in the marathon (Boston 2025), 27:26 in the 10,000m on the road (Beach to Beacon 2025; Course Record), 13:11.48 in the 5,000m on the track, and 3:37.96 in the 1,500m on the track. This isn’t just about chasing the edge of human performance. It’s about building a career—not just off talent—but off intention, consistency, and belief. In today's conversation, Conner dives deep into his training and preparation for his American Record attempt at the Chicago Marathon on October 12th, 2025. Tap into the Conner Mantz Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend! S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs -BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz