CHICAGO - Conner Mantz broke the American record at the Chicago Marathon running alongside other former Cougars Sunday morning.
HE DID IT 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) October 12, 2025
Conner Mantz makes HISTORY in Chicago with a 2:04:43 fourth-place finish, the fastest time ever run by an American.
Mantz breaks Khalid Khannouchi’s 23-year-old American record of 2:05:48, as well as the all-conditions best of 2:04:58 set by Ryan Hall in 2011. pic.twitter.com/Gmk1qzKvkZ
Mantz, who finished in 2:04.43, became the fastest American marathon runner in history after he broke the multi-decade old record by 55 seconds. The record was set in 2002 by former marathon world record holder Khalid Khannouchi. Khannouchi’s record held for twenty-two years before being broken early Sunday morning. Mantz finished fourth overall in the race just two minutes behind race leader and Ugandan Olympic bronze medalist, Jacob Kiplimo.
Mantz, a former Cougar cross country and track star, graduated from BYU in 2021 after taking first overall in the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championship. The BYU graduate has since gone on to run professionally for Nike being coached by former BYU athlete and current cross country and track & field head coach Ed Eyestone. Mantz broke the American half marathon record earlier this year and finished eighth in the Marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympic games.
Running alongside Conner was BYU alumni Rory Linkletter, Casey Clinger, Aidan Troutner and Creed Thompson.
What a year for Rory Linkletter 😍
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) October 12, 2025
The 29-year-old Canadian follows up his 2:07 performance from Boston with a 2:06:49, ninth-place finish at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, a lifetime best improving his #2 Canadian all-time mark. pic.twitter.com/XCzNP4uIvw
Linkletter became the second fastest Canadian marathon runner in history after finishing ninth overall in 2:06.49. The former Cougar, who is also coached professionally by Eyestone, graduated from BYU in 2019.
Troutner and Clinger made their professional marathon debuts finishing 18th and 25th respectively. Troutner, Clinger and Thompson helped the Cougars win the 2024 NCAA Cross Country National Championship before Clinger and Thompson signed to run professionally with Brooks.
BYU alum and Olympian Clayton Young provided color commentation for the event alongside Eyestone.