Will the US Olympic marathon team run through Utah?

PROVO — Conner Mantz is one of the fiercest competitors in men’s professional distance events in the United States, famously bringing opponents into “the Mantz zone” characterized by pain and a brutal pace before pulling away against his overmatched competition.

But away from the track or the course, the former BYU star is anything-but.

“Conner’s one of the nicest guys in the world,” said fellow BYU alum Jared Ward, a co-founder of Run Elite Program that helps train Mantz and other local distance standouts. “But he’s motivated to run hard, and that’s what makes him tick. It’s an experience to work out next to him, because he is working hard every single day.”

Mantz will follow the Mantz zone into the U.S. Olympic marathon trials Saturday morning in Orlando, Florida, where he is considered one of the favorites to clinch one of two qualified spots for the United States’ marathon team at the Paris Summer Games (8:10 a.m. MST, Peacock).

The Smithfield native won’t be alone, though. The field of contenders at the trials is loaded with talent from Utah, including five former BYU harriers.

Read the full story and more from Sean Walker on ksl.com