Former BYU star, Utah native Conner Mantz shatters American half-marathon record

PROVO — America's best in half-marathon now goes through the Conner Mantz zone.

Mantz checked in at 59 minutes, 17 seconds in the Houston half marathon to help the U.S. Olympian and Cache Valley native shatter the 18-year American record in the event by 26 seconds Sunday.

The 27-year-old former BYU star blitzed the streets of Houston before holding off Ethiopia's Addisu Gobena in a photo finish. After review, Gobena — the 2024 Dubai Marathon champion — was credited with the win in the 53-year-old race that brings together nearly 300,000 participants, volunteers and spectators annually.

Mantz overcame freezing conditions at the start, and a field that featured U.S. teammates Joe Klecker and former American Fork star Clayton Young — Mantz's teammate at BYU and with the local professional organization Run Elite Program — to reset the all-time mark previously held by Ryan Hall of 59:43 since 2007.

"It's a special one to me because the half marathon is how I got into running," Mantz said after the race, per ABC13 in Houston. "How I got into running was trying to finish a half marathon when I was 12 years old. My dad inspired me to try and finish a half marathon.

"This is a record that I really wanted," he added. "I want to lower it down the road, but I'm grateful to be here and to hit a time that I've been wanting to hit for a long time."

Klecker, whom Mantz admitted before the race he was chasing in a bid to run sub-59:30, finished 18th overall in 1:01:06. Young was 10th in 1:00:52.

Mantz overcame a stop-start build-up to the competition, injuring his quad in July that led to several missed workouts and limited mileage, he recalled during a pre-meet press conference. He tucked in behind pacer Amon Kemboi to run 14:01 in the first 5K and 28:01 through 10K, before settling into the four-man race with Gobena, reigning champion Jemal Yimer and Gabriel Geay of Tanzania.

With about a half-mile remaining, Mantz made his final move — the infamous "Mantz Zone" that has put competitors through the ringer since his college days — to break the tape in a photo finish with Gobena.

"With 100 meters to go, I realize I could win this, why am I not sprinting right now?" Mantz recalled during his post-race press conference.

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