Back in July last year, USATF announced a noon start time for the Olympic Marathon qualifiers. At that time, many athletes started raising concerns about the scorching temperatures during the race. However, one participant took exception. Clayton Young clearly stated, “I’ve always embraced the heat and humidity,…So when the [start] time changed from noon to 10, it didn’t really matter to me that much.” As the qualifiers finish, Young lived up to his words by claiming a second spot in the race and an Olympic berth alongside. But that does not mean the weather was favorable for everyone.

Young’s training partner, Connor Mantz, secured first place just ahead of him. But the high 60-degree temperature took a toll on him. After the win, Mantz was seen voicing his take on the weather with Young by his side.

Conner Mantz going to the Olympics, and not without any trouble

At today’s Marathon Team Trials, Conner Mantz finished the 26-mile race in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 5 seconds. Breathing on his all the time, Clayton Young came in a close second, being only 0:01:19 behind. After the race, the two track and field powerhouses were seen having a friendly banter and they could hardly hold back their grinning glee. And yet, they couldn’t help but underline how the weather conditions made it an arduous task to even cross the finishing line.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) by FloTrack, Mantz and Young talked about how the Florida weather was a tough challenge. “I thought I might collapse and not finish“, said Mantz in a post-race interview, but also didn’t forget to mention how Young was all but waiting to pounce in and seize the chance. “I think Clayton was enjoying it more.“, Mantz joked, while Clayton didn’t bother to deny it.

In response, Young also said he’d not hesitate to edge past his college senior had he got the opportunity. However, he had to acknowledge, “About two miles out, I knew we’d finish the race together”. While Young and Mantz both looked overwhelmed with the heat in the Florida city, other track and field athletes also expressed concern over the same as the Olympic team trials rage on.

Florida leaving its impacts without remorse

Veteran sprinter and the PanAm Games gold medalist Sarah Hall also expressed her feelings about how the hot weather kept getting a bigger obstacle on her path to the finishing line. Evidently, Mantz and Young weren’t the only ones who faced the harsh environments. All Olympic aspirants had to break some sweat. Notably, the weather condition during the race had been a matter of discussion since the time the schedule was announced.

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Initially, noon start time was announced for the qualifiers. Many had cited the example of 2016 qualifiers then. A significant number of athletes could not complete the race on that occasion owing to the high heat of Los Angeles. Eventually, in October, the time was changed to noon start. But evidently, that could not take away all the pain of the participants. Despite that all the effort paid off in the end in cash and kind.

Mantz, and Fiona O’Keeffe, the women’s Marathon winner, both received $80,000 after their first-place finish. Clayton and the women’s second-place finishers walked home with $65,000 each. With the incentives getting bigger, all the country’s best track and field athletes are determined to subtly show off their mettle. Now, it looks only a matter of time before the final rumble begins.

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