Olympic Marathon Trials: US Friendship Edges Over Into Bittersweet Rivalry for Clayton Young and Conner Mantz

On 3rd February 2024, when the starting pistol went off on the tracks of Orlando, Florida, a hoard full of sprinters left the starting mark to clinch a ticket to Paris. However, as the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials for men came to its conclusion, only two track and field stars made it to the Olympic roster – Conner Mantz and Clayton Young. Though they clinched the first and second positions respectively, the sprinting duo of Mantz and Young have more to the story than just the tale of bagging the Olympic berth.

“We feed off of each other’s energy. But in racing, you’ve got to race, you know?“ said Conner Mantz back in October 2023, defining the camaraderie he shares with his training partner Clayton Young. Keeping that healthy competition in check, Mantz and Young have been training alongside each other for a long time now. Interestingly, after posing a neck-to-neck vie against each other in Orlando, the duo went on to finish the marathon trials on a great note.

Conner Mantz and Clayton Young’s marathon spree at the 2024 Olympic trials

As the 2024 Olympic Marathon trials raged in full force on Saturday, training partners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young clinched first and second spots respectively to qualify for the Olympic team. They approached the finish line together, with Mantz crossing first in 2:09:05, while Young completed the marathon in the timeframe of 2:09:06.

With this incredible spree, they become the third and fourth Utahns to qualify for the Olympic marathon. Interestingly, all four of them are former Brigham Young University’s alumni. Ogden native Ed Eyestone, the BYU coach who coaches Mantz and Young, made the team in 1988 and 1992. Jared Ward, from Kaysville, made the team in 2016. And now Mantz and Young have made the marathon team in 2024.

Interestingly, the training partners not just stood victorious on the tracks of Florida, but they also made many heads turn their way back in 2023 when they both finished the Chicago marathon with an incredible spree. However, after finishing the Chicago sprint, the duo expressed their heartfelt paean for each other.

Mantz and Clayton’s marvelous sprint in Chicago

In October 2023, Mantz and Young were the two fastest American marathoners finishing with 2:07:47 and 2:08:10 respectively at the Chicago Marathon. As soon as Mantz crossed the finish line, his first stance was to look back to witness the arrival of his partner to the home line. “I turned around and could see Clayton finishing, and I was like yes, finally,” stated the 27-year-old.

Nevertheless, the training comrades’ acquaintance pan beyond the track and field arena. They both started off as a trainer and a trainee duo, where Young used to mentor Mantz. “He loves to just lay it all out, both in races and in practice. And so it was kind of this delicate dance of giving Conner the green light and not holding him back,” conceded Young when speaking about their training days together.

READ MORE – Olympic Marathon Trials: Live Updates, Results, And More

“If I’m the one who’s having self doubt… he’s the first one who’s talking me out of that,“ Young stated. He added, “We’re always really rooting for each other in that way.“

However, after the two stepped into the world of the marathon, the relationship developed into one of peers who have pushed each other to greater heights on their voyage to the pinnacle of the marathon. And, with their commendable sprint at the 2024 Olympic marathon trials, Conner Mantz and Clayton Young became the testament of the Olympic dream, as they clinched the coveted spot in the Paris Olympics roster.

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