How runners with ties to Utah fared in the men’s marathon at the Olympics

Two former BYU runners competing for Team USA made a splash during Saturday’s men’s marathon at the Olympics, sticking with the leaders for much of the 26.2-mile race.

Conner Mantz and Clayton Young were in second and sixth place, respectively, at the halfway point of the run, and they finished in eighth and ninth, beating out more than 70 other runners.

“Being top 10 in the Olympic Games is absolutely phenomenal,” said one of the TV commentators about their performance.

• Mantz finished in 2:08:12, a new season best for him.
• Young finished in 2:08:44, and also set a new season best.
• Rory Linkletter, another BYU alum who represented Canada at the Olympics, finished in 2:13:09, and came in 47th place.
• Cam Levins, who is also on Team Canada and who previously ran for Southern Utah University, came in 36th with a time of 2:11:56. It was a new season best time for him.

The runners competed not just with each other on Saturday morning, but also with a brutal, hilly course and with the heat and humidity of a summer day in Paris.

Several runners collected ice packs in addition to water bottles and snacks at the support stations scattered throughout the marathon route, including Mantz, who would grab frozen water balloons that fit in his hands.

The race was strikingly beautiful, especially for those watching from their couch at home, since runners went by some of Paris’ most famous landmarks, like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.

At the 30-minute mark, with 10 kilometers down, Mantz was at the front of the pack, with Young just behind him.

The U.S. commentators said they weren’t surprised to see Mantz pushing hard, noting that he drew inspiration from his friend Kenneth Rooks’ silver medal in the steeplechase .

“Mantz wants a medal here. He’s not just here to jog,” one said.

At the halfway point of the marathon, after about an hour of running, Mantz was in second, while Young was in sixth. Levins and Linkletter were in the back half of the competitors.

With 30 kilometers and about 90 minutes down, Mantz and Young remained near the leaders. Mantz was in 10th and Young was in 13th.

The training partners dropped off a bit from the leaders from that point on but stuck together.

By the 35 kilometer mark, they were about one minute behind the race leader, Tamirat Tola of Ethiopa, and 30 seconds behind the first chase group.

Tola pulled away just after the halfway point of the race, and he looked extremely comfortable during one of the marathon’s steepest climbs. He was a late add to the Olympic field after one of his countrymen dropped out, according to the USA Network broadcast.

Tola went on to win the gold medal and set a new Olympic record by finishing in 2:06:26. The previous record was 2:06:32.

Bashir Abdi of Belgium got the silver, and Benson Kipruto of Kenya got bronze.

Commentators said the race, in general, was among the fastest Olympic marathons ever, noting that the pace was surprising given the challenging course.

Mantz and Young got lots of attention during the broadcast. Commentators praised their performance and highlighted their friendship.

More than 40 members of Mantz’s family gathered at the marathon finish line to cheer him on, according to the USA Network broadcast.

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, who won gold at the past two Olympics, struggled throughout Sunday’s marathon and did not finish the race.