NCAA Champ & NIKE Pro Conner Mantz Shares His Story: Beginnings In The Sport, BYU Years, His Faith, Future Goals, & More

Today on the podcast, I have the one and only Conner Mantz. This is an interview I've been wanting to make happen for a while. Conner has one of the brightest futures for the US distance runner and has already accomplished so much in his short professional career so far. Conner won back-to-back NCAA XC titles in 2020 and 2021, cementing himself as one of the greatest American NCAA runners of all time. In 2022, Conner did what few runners have ever done in the same year, compete at the highest level in a short event like the 5k and a long event like the marathon. Conner placed 4th in the 5k at USAs and then a few months later ran 2:08:16 at the Chicago Marathon, the fastest debut marathon ever by an American.  This conversation is a deep dive into Conner's career, from his early curiosity of the sport to the present day, where he is eyeing a big race at this weekend's Chevron Houston Half Marathon. We discuss Conner's upbringing in the sport, his two NCAA titles representing BYU, signing with Nike, how much his faith means to him, and of course, the classic Gordon Ramsay question.  Hearing Conner's inspiring story will motivate you to chase after your goals. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, you'll find something to relate to and learn from in this episode. I'm very confident that you'll find something valuable in this episode. Enjoy the podcast? Please consider subscribing and giving us a five-star review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo. S H O W   N O T E S -Conner's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connermantz/?hl=en -Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en -Goodr Sunnies: https://goodr.com/collections/top-sellers