Spurred by faith and friendship, two buddies chase marathon medals in Paris
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PARIS — When runners take their places at the starting line of the men’s Olympic marathon on Saturday, among them will be two friends and training partners, who have logged thousands of miles together.
As two of the three men representing team U.S.A., Conner Mantz and Clayton Young have their eyes set on a shared goal: a strong finish at the Paris games. This moment is years in the making, from their first run together, in 2017 at Utah’s Brigham Young University.
“We were a pack of 15 to 20 guys. He had just come back from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he was probably, you know, 20 to 30 pounds overweight, but he was just hanging on for dear life,” Young recalled of Mantz.
The way Mantz describes it, he was just trying to hang on.
“I stayed up with them for about four-and-a-half miles before I was like, there is no way I can hold this pace,” he said.
But even then, Young saw something in Mantz.
“I think that's when I first really started to discover, like, how gritty Conner is,” Young said. “He was willing to do anything and whatever it takes to get to the next level. Even if that meant just pretty much being thrown to the wolves on his first run back with the team.”
From that moment, the two men have charted parallel paths, in running and in life.
And one of the biggest moments in their arc came in February, at the Olympic marathon trials in Orlando. The two longtime training partners needed a one-two finish to punch their tickets to Paris.
And like many moments in their running careers, it was one that showcased their partnership.
For much of the early race, runner Zach Panning led and set an aggressive pace. Young says by the time that he and Mantz reached mile 16, they began to feel confident that they could qualify for Paris.
At one point, Mantz extended his hand to Young.
“And I finally realized that he wants a high-five. And so I give him this high-five, and it's probably the sloppiest high-five you'll ever see on national television,” Young said. “But it was this cool moment where I got to really realize that Conner was still Team Clayton. Like, he was still on my side. He was confident. He knew that we could both do this.”
Ultimately, Panning faded. The course belonged to Mantz and Young.
“It was kind of this, I don't know, fun moment. It just kind of felt like a run with Clayton, and that was pretty special,” Mantz said.
The two finished the Olympic trials marathon in February within a second of each other, running at a blazing pace of four minutes, 56 seconds per mile on average. Mission accomplished.
“I know that, honestly, having Conner there every step of the way, not only to the trials finish line but from now training all the way to the start line of the Paris Olympic marathon, that’s really where the strength comes from,” Young said. “I know that Conner is going to keep me accountable, he’s going to keep me fit, he’s going to keep me fast and focused as we approach Paris.”
Now, Mantz and Young have arrived at the next big moment in their running careers, the August 10 marathon. The women’s race will be held the following day, on the final day of Olympic competition.
Both men have been training in the region, documenting their training on Strava. But Young had an opportunity to travel to Paris months before the games.
“I had done my research for Paris, but I don’t think I realized how special it was until I got to run by every single iconic landmark in Paris,” he said.
The marathon course begins at the Hotel De Ville. Runners will follow the winding path of the River Seine through the city, past some of Paris’ iconic attractions, before sprinting out to Versailles and back again. But the scenic route also includes several steep uphill stretches, and the temperature will also be a test for runners.
“It's the toughest course that I've ever trained on for a marathon. So I think we're all going to need a little bit of good luck,” Young said.
Guided by faith
They will line up at the start with the hope that luck is on their side, but also months of consistent training. They will also both rely on their faith.
Both men are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They say their faith is a common touchstone, and that it also adds perspective to their running.
“Having that knowledge and that faith, it definitely helps in running, because then you know that running is just a sport. It’s just something for fun, but there are things that are so much more important,” said Mantz. “I think having that grounding is so necessary when you have, like, a bad workout or a bad race.”
“When trials and tribulations come upon us, we’re able to really lean on our faith in Jesus Christ, and lean on his atoning power and his grace,” he said.
Both Mantz and Young have already given some thought to what they might do to celebrate, after they cover the 26.2 mile course.
Mantz said he’s looking forward to hiking Mount Timpanogos, near Provo, something he hasn’t been able to do with his focus on racing.
“You know when people go out for ice cream or whatever after a race? That’s my thing,” he said. “I just want to go out and hike this hike that I’ve been wanting to do for years, but it hasn’t lined up with my training. So that’s the most selfish thing I want to do with my celebration post-race.”
Young says he’s excited to cross the finish line and be reunited with family and friends, and to hear what their race day experience was like.
“It sounds cliche, but the phrase ‘it takes a village’ really does apply to Conner and I,” he said. “It’s taken a lot of help and sacrifice and support and thoughtfulness, so just to be able to share that moment afterwards is kind of my ideal situation – some good food, and some good conversation.”
