Conner Mantz delivered a historic performance at the 2025 Aramco Houston Half Marathon, setting a new American record with a blistering time of 59 minutes and 17 seconds. However, in a dramatic photo finish, Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobenaand was declared the winner, edging Mantz by a fraction of a second.
Mantz’s time shattered the 18-year-old American half marathon record of 59:43, previously set by Ryan Hall in 2007. The achievement is even more remarkable given the challenging weather conditions at the start of the race, with freezing temperatures and gusty winds testing the runners’ resilience.
The men’s race reached its crescendo in the final 3 kilometers, as Mantz battled Gobenaand and Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay in a tightly contested group. In the final meters, the three runners pushed each other to the limit. Gobena and Mantz both clocked 59:17, but the photo finish confirmed Gobenaand as the winner. Geay finished third, just a heartbeat behind, with an impressive 59:18.
Mantz’s record-breaking performance not only solidifies his place in American distance running history but also highlights his ability to excel under pressure and challenging conditions.
TOP RESULTS MEN'S HALF MARATHON
POS | NAME | NAT. | TIME |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Addisu Gobena | ETH | 59:17 |
2 | Conner Mantz | USA | 59:17 |
3 | Gabriel Geay | TZA | 59:18 |
4 | Jemal Yimer | ETH | 59:20 |
5 | Patrick Dever | GBR | 1:00:11 |
6 | Hillary Bor | USA | 1:00:20 |
7 | Wesley Kiptoo | KEN | 1:00:34 |
8 | Andrew Colley | USA | 1:00:47 |
9 | Alex Maier | USA | 1:00:51 |
10 | Clayton Young | USA | 1:00:52 |