Conner Mantz Announces American Record Attempt at 2025 Chicago Marathon

On Thursday morning, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced US distance star Conner Mantz will attempt to break Khalid Khannouchi‘s American record of 2:05:38 that dates to London 2002 at this year’s race on October 12. Mantz has already run faster than the record, as he clocked 2:05:08 to finish 4th in the Boston Marathon in April. But Boston’s point-to-point, net downhill course is not eligible for records.

“I feel ready to run at that pace,” Mantz told race organizers. “After Boston, where I finished with guys who have run 2:02 and 2:03, it doesn’t feel like a stretch to say I can run 2:05:30 on a looped, flat course.”

Mantz at the 2023 Chicago Marathon (Kevin Morris photo)

Mantz has already broken one longstanding American record in 2025, running 59:17 at the Houston Half Marathon in January to take down Ryan Hall‘s 59:43 AR from 2007 (Mantz also ran 59:15 at the NYC Half in March, though that course is not record-eligible). Most recently, Mantz ran 28:21 to win his third consecutive Bolder Boulder 10K on May 26, running down 2023 World Championship 10,000 silver medalist Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya for the victory.

Chicago was the site of the current women’s American record, which was set in 2022 when Emily Sisson ran 2:18:29. In that instance, the previous record holder Keira D’Amato was there to congratulate Sisson at the finish line, Chicago organizers said Khannouchi will be in attendance in October to watch Mantz attack his record.

“Holding the American record all of these years has meant the world to me,” Khannouchi told race organizers. “But, I don’t think it will be a bittersweet moment for me if the record gets broken this fall. We will all be rooting for Conner.”

LRC Analysis

The time is right for Mantz to be targeting the American record, and he has a great chance if the weather cooperates

Mantz was viewed as one of America’s best-ever marathon prospects when he turned pro in 2021 after winning back-to-back NCAA cross country titles at Brigham Young University, and so far his 26.2-mile career has progressed nicely. He ran one of the fastest debuts ever by an American (2:08:16) in Chicago in 2022. Since then, Mantz has established himself as the USA’s best marathoner, winning the Olympic Trials, finishing 8th at the Olympics, and setting an American course record of 2:09:00 in New York. His 2:08:12 on the brutally tough Olympic course in Paris suggested Mantz was ready to challenge the American record, and his 2:05:08 in Boston — the second-fastest all-conditions time by an American, behind only Ryan Hall‘s 2:04:58 at 2011 Boston — confirmed it.

LRC Conner Mantz Breaks Through with 2:05:08 PB to Finish 4th at 2025 Boston Marathon

Mantz is firmly in his prime, and with the next Olympics three years away, Mantz doesn’t have to worry about qualifying or the Trials at the moment. Now is the time for him to test his ceiling.

At 28, it may feel as if Mantz still has plenty of time to get the record, but the risk of injuries in the marathon is not insignificant, which means the future is never guaranteed in this sport. Plus US marathoners don’t get that many opportunities to run fast — perhaps only once per year if Mantz continues running Boston in the spring. If Mantz gets good conditions in Chicago and brings the same fitness he had in Boston, he could well break it in October. But it’s possible it could take a few attempts to get the record, so it is good that Mantz is starting now.

Consider what happened to America’s top marathoner before Mantz, Galen Rupp. Rupp was a strong candidate to break Khannouchi’s record in the 2010s, but had surprisingly few opportunities to break it — partially due to his race selection, partially due to events out of his control. Here’s Rupp’s race schedule during his marathon prime from 2016-21.

Galen Rupp’s marathons, 2016-21

That’s a seven-year prime from ages 29-35 during which Rupp had one legitimate AR attempt (2018 Chicago) and two other good opportunities where he ran fast but didn’t get the record (2018 Prague, 2021 Chicago). Rupp missed a year due to injury (2019), was unfortunate to miss another year because of limited race opportunities during COVID, and four of his races were either Olympic Trials or the Olympics.

All of which is to say that there is a reason Khannouchi’s AR has stood so long. Few Americans have had the talent to challenge it over the last two decades (though that may be changing as supershoes take effect), and you need things to line up nicely for an AR attempt.

Valencia would offer Mantz’s best opportunity to break the record, but it makes sense that he chose Chicago

Chicago, obviously, is a very fast course — it is where both the current men’s and women’s world records were set. It is a good place to attack the American record. But if Mantz’s sole goal is setting the AR, December’s Valencia Marathon may have been the better choice. The weather is a bit more reliable in Valencia in December than Chicago in October, and Mantz would have more athletes to run with in Valencia.

Sub-2:05:38 performances by year

That said, there are a number of good reasons for Mantz to choose Chicago. For one, it’s in the US, which means Mantz would get to break the record on home soil and organizers would be more willing to take Mantz’s AR attempt into account when assembling the field/pacers. Plus the time difference/travel is easier.

Second, the timing of Chicago works better for Mantz. Mantz has told LetsRun.com he wants to run the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January 2026, and the trials race for that event is likely to be held in early December 2025 — the same time as Valencia. Third, Chicago is certainly paying Mantz a bigger appearance fee than he would receive in Valencia.

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• MB Conner Mantz announces he will try to break 2:05:38 American record at 2025 Chicago Marathon
• MB Can Conner Mantz run a Marathon in Valencia to finally break Khannouchi AR ?