The wait is over. After 23 years, Conner Mantz has done what no other American man could—set a new standard for what’s possible.
(Photo: © Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Kevin Morris)
Updated October 12, 2025 07:34PM
After 23 years on the books, Olympic marathoner Conner Mantz has broken the longstanding American record with a time of 2:04:43 at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 13, 2025.
The 28-year-old Utah native placed fourth overall, finishing 2 minutes and 20 seconds behind men’s champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, who won in 2:02:23. Mantz battled with Kenya’s Alex Masai for the final podium spot over the latter half of the race, ultimately coming up short by six seconds.
“That was a great feeling,” Mantz said after the race. “It was great to run with Alex [Masai] for the last 10 miles. I couldn’t quite beat him but it was great feeling and a great race.”
In typical Mantz fashion, he’s already suggesting he’s ready for more.
“I think my run in Boston gave me great confidence today,” he said of his fourth-place, 2:05:08 finish at the Boston Marathon in April. “We’ll see where we can take this record second by second.”
The American Record—A 23-Year Wait
The previous American record of 2:05:38 was set in 2002 by Khalid Khannouchi. (Ryan Hall’s 2:04:58 at the 2011 Boston Marathon remains the fastest marathon ever run by an American, but it’s not eligible for record purposes because Boston’s point-to-point layout and net elevation drop classify it as an “assisted” course.)
Moroccan-born Khannouchi made his marathon debut in Chicago in 1997, winning in 2:07:10. In 1999, he returned to Chicago to set a world record of 2:05:42, becoming the first man to dip under 2:06.
After becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000, Khannouchi, then 28, continued running well, setting the American record that year in Chicago before lowering it in London in 2002 to the mark Mantz toppled today.
Progression of the American Men’s Marathon Record (On Record-Eligible Courses)
Mantz’s Lead Up to the Moment
Mantz entered Chicago as the reigning U.S. Marathon Champion and top American finisher at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he ran a 2:08:12 and placed eighth overall.
In the months leading up to Chicago, Mantz made it clear he was targeting the American record. Before the race, his coach and 1994 Chicago Marathon runner-up, Ed Eyestone, told Outside Run in a phone call just days before the feat that Mantz was looking to run sub-2:05, but would be happy with anything in the American record range.
His 2025 performances backed up his goal. In January, Mantz broke Ryan Hall’s 18-year-old American half marathon record with a 59:17 at the Houston Half Marathon, then lowered it to 59:15 at the NYC Half in March (though that course isn’t record-eligible). In April, he placed fourth at the Boston Marathon, running 2:05:08—the second-fastest time ever by an American, just 10 seconds off Hall’s 2011 effort—on another non-record-eligible course, despite battling a headwind.
Mantz first ran Chicago in 2022, finishing seventh in 2:08:16. He returned the following year, improving to 2:07:47.
What This Means for American Men Marathoners
In the 23 years that Khannouchi’s American record stood, a handful of men came close to his 2:05:38 mark. Hall ran a 2:06:17 at the 2008 London Marathon and Galen Rupp made several worthy attempts, topping out at 2:06:07 in Prague in 2018.
