Former BYU teammates qualify for Olympic marathon
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ORLANDO, Fla. (ABC4 Sports) – It was a BYU kind of day at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
Former Cougar teammates and current training partners Connor Mantz and Clayton Young finished first and second at the trials, and both distance runners will be headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Mantz, the fastest qualifier heading into the race, ran 2:09:05 to win the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday. The 27-year-old Utah resident ran the entire race next to his training partner Clayton Young, who placed second in 2:09:06.
“There was absolutely no rehearsal,” Mantz said. “I was just trying to get to the finish .. because I thought I might collapse and not finish.”
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This will be the first Olympic Games for both Mantz and Young.
“My conversation with Conner the last couple of miles were just, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s do this. We’re doing it. Stick on me,” Young said. “The last couple of 100s I was just like, ‘Enjoy it. Enjoy it. Soak it end. Soak it in,’ and I peeled off.”
Mantz is from Smithfield, Utah and Sky View High School graduate, attended BYU from 2017-2021, where he won two straight cross country national championships.
Young, a former American Fork High school star, was a member of the BYU track and field team from 2015-18. In his senior year, Young secured a national title in the 10000m, finishing with a time of 29:16.60.
The Olympic marathon will be held August 10th in Paris.
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