The 2 Fastest Marathoners in the U.S. Go Way Back

The night before the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Clayton Young was wavering. The 30-year-old was on the cusp of lining up for this third Chicago Marathon, but he still had a major decision to make. How fast did he want to run? In his mind, there were three pacing options. He could go out with his training partner, Conner Mantz, who was hoping to run in the 2:06-2:07 range; he could run 2:08 pace, which would be tough but within his wheelhouse; or he could run a conservative race and get under 2:11:30, mitigating the risk of bonking hard—like he did last year. The weather forecast was perfect—high 40s, little wind, cloud coverage—so Young didn’t want to squander an opportunity. After giving his training log a final look, he decided his plan: he would try to run 2:08 pace (4:53 miles), and hope he could hang on. It turned out to be the right decision. Young ran a personal best by nearly four minutes, lunging across the line to run 2:08:00. His time was fast enough to make him eligible for the Olympics if he earns a spot at February’s Olympic Trials. “I was ecstatic, I was so freaking pumped,” Young told Runner’s World after the race. Mantz, 26, was hoping for more, but he still ran a lifetime best of 2:07:47. Moments after finishing, he looked back for Young, who he knew was right on his heels and was having arguably the best race of his life. “I turned around and could see Clayton finishing, and I was like yes, finally,” he said. The duo had just run the fifth and seventh fastest marathon times ever for Americans. But their ascension and strong bond wasn’t formed overnight—it’s been over a decade in the making. [View in Browser]( [Runner's World Logo]( [SHOP]( [RW+ EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [The 2 Fastest Marathoners in the U.S. Go Way Back]( [The 2 Fastest Marathoners in the U.S. Go Way Back]( [The 2 Fastest Marathoners in the U.S. Go Way Back]( The night before the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Clayton Young was wavering. The 30-year-old was on the cusp of lining up for this third Chicago Marathon, but he still had a major decision to make. How fast did he want to run? In his mind, there were three pacing options. He could go out with his training partner, Conner Mantz, who was hoping to run in the 2:06-2:07 range; he could run 2:08 pace, which would be tough but within his wheelhouse; or he could run a conservative race and get under 2:11:30, mitigating the risk of bonking hard—like he did last year. The weather forecast was perfect—high 40s, little wind, cloud coverage—so Young didn’t want to squander an opportunity. After giving his training log a final look, he decided his plan: he would try to run 2:08 pace (4:53 miles), and hope he could hang on. It turned out to be the right decision. Young ran a personal best by nearly four minutes, lunging across the line to run 2:08:00. His time was fast enough to make him eligible for the Olympics if he earns a spot at February’s Olympic Trials. “I was ecstatic, I was so freaking pumped,” Young told Runner’s World after the race. Mantz, 26, was hoping for more, but he still ran a lifetime best of 2:07:47. Moments after finishing, he looked back for Young, who he knew was right on his heels and was having arguably the best race of his life. “I turned around and could see Clayton finishing, and I was like yes, finally,” he said. The duo had just run the fifth and seventh fastest marathon times ever for Americans. But their ascension and strong bond wasn’t formed overnight—it’s been over a decade in the making. The night before the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Clayton Young was wavering. The 30-year-old was on the cusp of lining up for this third Chicago Marathon, but he still had a major decision to make. How fast did he want to run? In his mind, there were three pacing options. He could go out with his training partner, Conner Mantz, who was hoping to run in the 2:06-2:07 range; he could run 2:08 pace, which would be tough but within his wheelhouse; or he could run a conservative race and get under 2:11:30, mitigating the risk of bonking hard—like he did last year. The weather forecast was perfect—high 40s, little wind, cloud coverage—so Young didn’t want to squander an opportunity. After giving his training log a final look, he decided his plan: he would try to run 2:08 pace (4:53 miles), and hope he could hang on. It turned out to be the right decision. Young ran a personal best by nearly four minutes, lunging across the line to run 2:08:00. His time was fast enough to make him eligible for the Olympics if he earns a spot at February’s Olympic Trials. “I was ecstatic, I was so freaking pumped,” Young told Runner’s World after the race. Mantz, 26, was hoping for more, but he still ran a lifetime best of 2:07:47. Moments after finishing, he looked back for Young, who he knew was right on his heels and was having arguably the best race of his life. “I turned around and could see Clayton finishing, and I was like yes, finally,” he said. The duo had just run the fifth and seventh fastest marathon times ever for Americans. But their ascension and strong bond wasn’t formed overnight—it’s been over a decade in the making. [Read More]( [Read More](   [Here’s What to Do If You Get a Marathon Training Injury]( [Here’s What to Do If You Get a Marathon Training Injury]( Two sports medicine physicians explain how to determine if you need to adjust your training and racing. [Read More](       [This Heart Rate Metric Can Help Inform Your Training for Better Performances]( [This Heart Rate Metric Can Help Inform Your Training for Better Performances]( Here’s why some top athletes and their coaches are tapping into the power of heart rate variability. [Read More](   [Foot Pain When You’re Running? 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