History was made on the streets of Chicago last weekend.
Former BYU runner Conner Mantz became the fastest American marathoner ever at the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Mantz finished in 2:04:43, breaking a record that had stood for 22 years. The previous mark was set back in 2002 by Khalid Khannouchi.
Mantz finished fourth overall, just behind winner Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda. The former Cougar star, who won the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championship, has continued to shine since going pro with Nike under BYU coach Ed Eyestone.
He’s had a huge year — setting the American half marathon record and finishing eighth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Mantz wasn’t the only Cougar running in Chicago. Rory Linkletter, Casey Clinger, Aidan Troutner and Creed Thompson also competed.
Linkletter finished ninth overall and became the second-fastest Canadian in history. Clinger and Troutner made their marathon debuts, finishing 25th and 18th.
Even far from Provo, Mantz and his former teammates showed that BYU excellence really does go the distance — all the way to Chicago.