Again! Conner Mantz did it. But deep down, maybe we all knew this day was coming. You could feel it before the first mile marker, the rhythm, the calm, the certainty. Conner Mantz wasn’t just running the 2025 Chicago Marathon; he was chasing something bigger. By the time the race hit halfway, every stride hinted at a pursuit that might redefine American distance running.

And redefine it he did. Finishing fourth in 2:04:43, Mantz shattered Khalid Khannouchi’s 20-year-old American marathon record.  His splits had been close to flawless: 1:02:19 halfway and almost no slowdown in the second half. It was also the first time that an American had set a record under 2:05 on a record-legal course and had taken possession of the North American record at the same time. The race in itself was providing drama at each moment. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo took the lead early and was threatening to set a world record when he faltered at mile number 20, and eventually won in 2:02:23.

Behind Conner Mantz was fellow North American Rory Linkletter, who fought valiantly, finishing ninth in 2:06:49.

Top finishers:

• Jacob Kiplimo: 2:02:23

• Amos Kipruto: 2:03:54

• Alex Masai: 2:04:37

• Conner Mantz: 2:04:43

But frankly speaking, Mantz had been thorough in his preparation. He ran 2:05:08 at Boston earlier this year, also a personal record, but it was not a record due to the track layout. By foregoing the World Championships to concentrate on Chicago, it was a calculated gamble that resulted in a spectacular payoff. Nine months of training in Park City, along with an intelligent race strategy, resulted in a performance that was destined to happen when it occurred. In the case of American distance running, this is a historic occasion. Conner Mantz now owns two of the three all-condition fastest in U.S. history, joining Ryan Hall’s 2:04:58 from Boston 2011. 

Conner Mantz shared his thoughts after winning

After the race, Conner Mantz shared a smile and reflected on his experience: “That was a great feeling…those last few miles were really tough. Even with ten miles to go, I stayed in the moment, thinking about what is going to run to secure the new American record. Unfortunately I gotta work with Alex Masai for those last 10 miles and we work together and unfortunately I couldn’t beat him but I’m very happy for him he got 3rd place and that was his first party and finished in a big PR for him as well so it was a great feeling to get the American record but also to do with somebody I have known for a long time and competed against..”

Even with the record, Mantz remains nearly two minutes behind the world’s best, a gap that still defines the difference between national excellence and global dominance. Yet, for a nation that hadn’t seen a sub-2:05 on a record-legal course, this felt like a breakthrough moment.

When asked about the pressure of publicly announcing his record attempt back in June, Conner Mantz said, “i think just my running Boston I think being able to run 2 or 5 away on a tough course there gave me quite a bit of confidence to feel that out there. I knew even if I didn’t throw it out there everyone was getting now I was going for it so I was happy to happy to get it today you run here before in Chicago of course..” Since graduating from BYU in 2022, Mantz has steadily improved, becoming the top U.S. men’s marathoner. He won the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials and was the top American at the Paris Olympics, finishing eighth ahead of training partner Clayton Young. Next, he’ll focus on January’s World Cross-Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, needing to qualify at the USATF Cross-Country Championships on December 6.