Conner Mantz may try and break Ryan Hall's American record in the half marathon THIS weekend

C'mon, Mantz cant go much below 1:01.

We all know the big prospects to crush the record are Fisher, Kincaid, & True but the two young guns have no interest in running the half. True ran NYC but that was a few years ago in build up for eventual marathoning and that was a slow course. If he went for it this year on a fast course he would surely get it.

As I've said before, Mantz would've spanked Rupp in college XC.

I thought C. Mantz was focused on sub-27:30 10000m and lower? Is the 1/2 Marathon race a piece of his 10000m goal, spring & summer, 2022?

douglas burke wrote:

Milkyio wrote:

Yeah and of course Mo will set many US records….Hello….

North America and Area Records Maybe, Ahmed is capable of it, but has to do it, obviously.

Well of course Ahmed is not going to be setting any US records. That is why I said hello…after all he already has run faster at 5000m than any US runner ever.

runnER/DR wrote:

Milkyio wrote:

Forget about Jack Daniels. That is not relevant. 59:43 is not a weak record. You obviously have no idea. The super shoes are changing the standards, but that was never a weak record. Maybe with the new shoes the record should be closer to 59:00. But it really is not for us to say. Who could break it? We shall see.

Explain this to me. The 10,000 world record pace and half marathon world record pace are 10 seconds per mile apart.

Why could an American not run 10 seconds per miles slower than the American 10,000 record? Why is the current record 15 seconds per mile slower than the 10,000?

You have no idea what you're talking about.

You ask really naive questions. Hall’s half marathon is roughly equivalent to a 2:05xx marathon. There is nothing weak about it for an American runner. The shoes are changing things but without the shoes that record was likely to last another 5 years or so. Not weak at all.

Everyone talks as if 59:43 is weak. Compared to the WR but 59:43 is 4:33 pace. 2 10k back to back in 28:18 plus .7 miles. As good as Halls 59:43 Todd Williams ran 1:00:11 in 1993 almost 29 years ago!!I say at best he runs 1:01:20

wejo wrote:

Just what the sport needs. Mantz told us he may go for the record this upcoming weekend at the US Half Marathon Champs.

It's a big ask for sure but if Frank Lara thought he could break it I'd like to see Mantz give it a go. What do you all think?

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2021/11/conner-mantz-wants-to-break-ryan-halls-american-half-marathon-record/

When all is said and done, I think Lara will have a better pro career than Mantz. He ran 61 flat in Altras, he would have been sub-60 in Next%. Now Lara has a pro contract and can focus more on his training with fewer other concerns, I think we'll see a strong marathon debut, eventually running 2:07

Oh these clickbaity headlines. Conner Mantz on the interview said that he has a goal of doing that someday, but he realizes this weekend probably won't be the day. But on the right day with the more specific training and the supeshoes, it might be in his wheelhouse. Whittni Orton said she would like to break 15 in the 5K, but she's not necessarily set on it being at the BU meet. But since both of them admitted to those being goals they saw that were in their wheelhouse soon enough, LetsRun sensationalizes and says they are going to do it this weekend.

Great runner. If he wears the new shoes then he could do it.

If Cooper Tiere focuses on it, he could/would break the half AR before Mantz - who will not break it this weekend.

Rupp has PRs of 13:01, 26:44, and 2:06 but has only run 59:47. There's absolutely no way Mantz comes close to 59:43.

Rupp is "going to pop a 2:05" any day now.

My God some people on here really don't know the sport. I just read several posts stating that Frank Lara and Mantz are on the "similar levels". Are you people crazy? That's like saying that Tom Brady and Bucs backup QB are at a similar level because they are both in the NFL.

Hot Takes wrote:

Frank and Mantz are similar levels, both around 27:40 for 10,000 meters. Frank had a phenomenal race and was still over a minute off the record with great competition on the fastest course in the world. I'd be shocked if Mantz goes sub 61:00 this weekend, no way he runs the American Record of 59:47 or whatever it is this weekend. I'd say a more reasonable expectation is 61:30 given these circumstances.

and

tenkrunner wrote:

He essentially has the same track PRs as Frank Lara and is only a little over a year younger than Frank. Anything around 61 would be successful.

To say that Lara and Mantz are in the similar levels is absurd. Mantz has always shown hiimself to be 7-20 seconds better per mile than Lara. Take 7 seconds per mile off of Lara's half marathon pb of 61:00 and you get 58:29. Take 5 seconds off and you get 59:54. Mantz is capable of breaking 60:00. I'd go farther and say I expect him to do it if it's his number one focus in the next year.

Mantz and Lara raced at Foot Lockers in HS. Mantz was a junior, Lara a senior. Mantz ran 15:23, Lara ran 16:32. Edge Mantz by 20 seconds per mile.

Lara ran NCAA xc and never was All-American and only cracked the top 100 1 time (83rd). Mantz was champ twice, third once and top 10 4 times. Edge Mantz by 15 seconds per mile (80th is normally 15 seconds slower per mile than 1st)

Lara never came close to scoring at NCAAs on the track. HIs best finish was 15th. Mantz was in it to win it last winter and scored two other times.

Mantz raced Lara at the Olympic Trials in the 10,000. Mantz was 5th. Lara was 18th and 46 seconds back (Edge Mantz by 7 second mile) In that race, Mantz beat Galen Rupp.

Lara had a 28:47 college pb. Mantz's pb is 27:41. Edge Mantz by 10 seconds per mile.

Throughout his career, Mantz has shown himself to be far superior to Lara.

rojo wrote:

[

To say that Lara and Mantz are in the similar levels is absurd. Mantz has always shown hiimself to be 7-20 seconds better per mile than Lara. Take 7 seconds per mile off of Lara's half marathon pb of 61:00 and you get 58:29. Take 5 seconds off and you get 59:54. Mantz is capable of breaking 60:00. I'd go farther and say I expect him to do it if it's his number one focus in the next year. .

This is an astonishingly dumb take from someone who follows running. You really think it's as easy as taking Lara's time as a baseline and subtracting 7 seconds per mile?

My prediction now is that Lara has a better 2022 than Mantz and a better career in the long-term. If they both raced the HM, my money would go on Lara, he's simply a better a runner right now

rojo wrote:

My God some people on here really don't know the sport. I just read several posts stating that Frank Lara and Mantz are on the "similar levels". Are you people crazy? That's like saying that Tom Brady and Bucs backup QB are at a similar level because they are both in the NFL.

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My god you are stupid. You think Mantz is Tom Brady. You don’t know what you’re talking about. STFU

rojo wrote:

My God some people on here really don't know the sport. I just read several posts stating that Frank Lara and Mantz are on the "similar levels". Are you people crazy? That's like saying that Tom Brady and Bucs backup QB are at a similar level because they are both in the NFL.

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How is it crazy to think Lara and Mantz are on similar levels? My god people are stupid

JustAnotherFifthYear wrote:

Just to clarify, Conner Mantz is 24. He’s essentially just a fifth year with an early birthday. All the old man stuff makes zero sense.

I graduated at 21… others 22. 24? Nope.

Are there unique conditions that impact his graduating age? Sure.

Is he normal age for a college student? Not at all. Not even a little.

Shelby is guilty wrote:

rojo wrote:

My God some people on here really don't know the sport. I just read several posts stating that Frank Lara and Mantz are on the "similar levels". Are you people crazy? That's like saying that Tom Brady and Bucs backup QB are at a similar level because they are both in the NFL.

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How is it crazy to think Lara and Mantz are on similar levels? My god people are stupid

Rojo you are wrong here. Mantz may be a better runner than Lara but it is currently much closer than you appear to understand. Their personal bests are fairly comparable and Mantz is only one year younger than Lara. Mantz may be more of a gamer but they do not appear to be far apart in talent.

Yes Mantz is the more accomplished runner…but to assume he’s going to run 2+ minutes faster than Lara over a half when he has essentially the same track PRs and is basically the same age is silly.

What is Mantz’s ceiling anyway…he’s 24, already training at a high level, at elevation, with a good coach…and it’s not like he’s going to add a 7th day of training a week…