My guest for today's episode is Conner Mantz, who recently finished an impressive eighth place at the Paris Olympics Marathon with a time of 2:08:12.On a course that was as unforgiving as it was historic, Conner mixed it up with the best marathoners in the world, tackling the relentless hills and intense heat of Paris.

At mile 9, when Tamirat Tola, the eventual Olympic champion, made his first big move up one of the course’s steepest hill, Conner was right there and decided to go with him. It was a bold decision and the kind we've come to expect from Conner, who’s never been afraid to take risks in a race. Even though Tola’s second move eventually separated the field, Conner’s courage to hang with the lead pack for so long is a testament to his racing mindset.

Conner proved that he’s not just one of the top U.S. marathoners, but a true competitor on the world stage. The energy of the Parisian crowds, reflections on the work put in this training block, and the high-five he shared with Clayton right before the toughest part of the course are some of the highlights that he recounts in this episode. Plus, if you listened to our last episode, Clayton Young was bold enough to talk about going after the American record. Conner has similar thoughts!

The following excerpt has been edited lightly for clarity. You can listen to the full interview with Conner Mantz on the CITIUS MAG Podcast – available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows.

CITIUS MAG: When cross training while you were injured this spring, what was the longest swim session you had?

Conner Mantz: There was one day – it wasn't an intense day, just see how far I could go – I had a goal to get 10,000 yards in. I think I did 6000 in the morning and 4000 in the evening or something like that. If there’s one thing that it made me think it’s that maybe I'll do an ultra one day, because I have the mindset of, ‘Just one more lap, one more lap, don't take a break.’ Doing it was kind of fun. Not nearly as fun as running, but it was a fun mindset to be like, ‘How far can I actually go? Could I hit this arbitrary number of 10,000 yards in a day?’

CITIUS MAG: Did seeing Grant Fisher and Kenneth Rooks’ podium finishes get the wheels spinning in your head as to, ‘The Olympics have been pretty magical for the Americans. What can we do?’

Conner Mantz: I was going in with the mentality that I could medal even before we left. I just knew my fitness was at a different level. Yes, eighth is great and I'm happy about that, but I don't think my fitness really showed in this marathon. I think I have another level that I'm trying to bridge the gap to. But seeing them do so well, I was definitely thinking of it in the race. Kenneth was second, Grant was third, like I can go out here and medal… I know these guys, I run with these guys, I get my doors blown off by these guys, but I can go medal. Every moment of that race, whenever I was looking around – especially in that first 25K – I was like, ‘Alright, the medals are going to come from this pack that I’m in.’ I was like, ‘I'm in this, I feel great, it feels pretty easy right now, and I think I'm going to get a medal. So it was pretty inspiring, especially in the race.

CITIUS MAG: When you were in Paris putting the final touches on the race, did you feel fitter than you did in Orlando?

Conner Mantz: Yeah. I didn't have as many big, exciting speed workouts, longer stuff or interval stuff; I didn’t really have anything that pops out like, ‘That was amazing.’ But I was so much more consistent. (Training for) Orlando, I had a stress reaction, I had COVID, then I had a good week, then I had a stress reaction. A few weeks after I recovered from that, I had a good week and a half. Then I had a really bad bacterial infection where I couldn't finish a run or rep without coughing for like a minute or two… So my build this time, I was able to be a lot more consistent. And that time, I was on the AlterG for a lot of my workouts and runs. This time, almost all my running was on the ground once I recovered from my quad injury. But pretty much the 12 weeks leading up, I was 100% on the ground.

CITIUS MAG: Nerves-wise, you felt good?

Conner Mantz: Yeah. I mean yes, if I miss out on a medal, I miss out on a medal and I would be pretty bummed about that. But I was more excited about grabbing a medal, upsetting for a medal. (It was like), ‘Okay, I've done everything right to make this team, I've done everything I needed to as far as I could.’ I've been sick, I haven't been 100% healthy, but this build was the opposite of Orlando. It was like, ‘I've been healthy for the most part, at least for the last 12 weeks leading up to it.’ If I did that, I was still an Olympian. So it was like, ‘Let's go and execute.’

CITIUS MAG: When you were reveling in the moment, what was it that you were taking in?

Conner Mantz: Just the crowds and just the enjoyment that like, ‘Hey, I'm at the Olympics.’ No, I didn't medal. No, I wasn't even that close. I was kind of close, but I wasn't that close. I really was just like, ‘This is fun running with a huge crowd of people cheering me on.’ I wish I could explain it better. It's just like, ‘This is cool.’

CITIUS MAG: You cross the finish line and you turn around. What is it that you feel when you see Clayton being the next to come in?

Conner Mantz: I didn't turn around for a minute. I think I just had ‘marathon brain’ and was a little out of it. I thought other people had come in other than him. I saw him and was pumped for him because I didn't know he would be that close to me. I imagined he probably would have, but I didn't know. I was pretty happy for him.. It was cool to see Clayton come in and get to share this moment because we trained together for six years.

CITIUS MAG: A little birdie told me there's another marathon on the horizon. What is it that you want to get out of your next marathon? Clayton said on the CITIUS MAG Podcast after Chicago that your wheels have been spinning about the American record. Depending on what opportunities are down the road, I think a performance like this only gives further credence to believe that could be in the cards for you down the road.

Conner Mantz: Absolutely. I've been thinking about the American record in the marathon before I ever ran a marathon. That's always been something that I've been aiming for. I think this kind of helps build that confidence. It's another stepping stone. The way I work is the closer I get to whatever this magical next step is, the more I'm like, ‘Okay, let's just work harder.’ I’m definitely thinking about the American record, but I don't know when I'm going to go for it. Hopefully within the next year or so, but it’s hard to find the right marathon to kind of go for it.

CITIUS MAG: The closing ceremonies happen, you make your way back to the States. How are you feeling post-marathon?

Conner Mantz: My legs feel great. I decided to still take yesterday off; I did some stationary biking and some core and whatnot, went on a four mile hike, but nothing really intense yesterday. I'll probably keep it a little more like that. Six miles (from earlier in the week) might have been too much; My body was not ready to start running post-marathon. My foot’s a little banged up. But other than that, my legs feel great. I'm ready to start training again. I’m always excited for the next race. I've always heard there's a big slump after the Olympics, but really I'm kind of happy I can get back. I like training a lot, so I'm excited to get back to training and going for a new goal, whatever that's going to be.