The 2025 track and field season was eagerly anticipated by fans. Indeed, the success of the Paris Olympics piqued the interest of many enthusiasts, and it’s understandable that they would be eager to see what the upcoming season would bring. They have every right to be excited. While there have been many indoor races in the early part of the campaign, one outdoor event, which was the Houston Half Marathon, garnered a ton of attention.

Indeed, the event featured many prominent runners, but the men’s meet was truly remarkable. An 18-year-old American record was broken by a runner that too, in a thrilling race where he didn’t even secure the top step of the podium.

Doing magical things in track and field

It’s not always pace that defines track and field. Indeed, these long-distance runners can attest to the fact that their running skills are primarily defined by the strategy and technique they apply. And for Conner Mantz, the 2025 Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be an event that he will always cherish whenever he looks back at it.

Indeed, as reported by FloTrack on X, Mantz broke an 18-year-old American record in the event that was set back in 2007 by Ryan Hall, who ran a blistering 59:43 back then. But what time did Mantz achieve? He ran a 59:17, but guess what? It wasn’t enough to secure him the victory. Really? Was the race so tight? Yes, he was just behind a fraction of a second from Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena. Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay finished in third place with a time of 59:18, completing the podium.

The race was intense, and till the final meters, the two runners were fighting for that first-place finish. However, even if Mantz wasn’t able to win the Houston Half Marathon, he won’t regret it much, as in the process of winning it, he surpassed his limits and broke the American record. Indeed, the time he set was significantly faster than his previous personal best, a 1:00:55 set in the 2021 US Half Marathon Championships.

This is not the first time that Mantz has made waves in the track and field community, but once he revealed the reason for having a tough mindset in the sport.

A driving force for him and his brother

In track and field, there is always competition between two individual athletes, even if they are from the same country. However, when it comes to Conner Mantz, he has a special someone who will never let him fall behind in any race. Clayton Young, a marathon runner, has been a friend and brother to Conner Mantz, and their friendship has a fascinating history.

Indeed, both of them showcased their brotherhood at the US Olympic marathon trials when Young gave his position to Mantz, and both of them finished the race 1-2. Talking to CNN, they revealed their mindset, stating, “Through our canonized faith, we’ve realized that we’re more than just a couple of runners; we’re more than just professional athletes.”

While they acknowledge themselves as athletes, their faith and the divine, whom they trust more than themselves, form the foundation of their mindset. Their bond at the event demonstrated that, despite competition, their relationship remains unaffected as they prioritize their faith above all else.