Cameron Hanes - Keep Hammering Collective

KHC 140 - Conner Mantz

13 snips

Jul 8, 2025

Conner Mantz, an acclaimed American long-distance runner and winner of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, shares insights from his athletic journey. He discusses how he got into running and the mental toughness required during tough races. Conner highlights the value of sports psychology in enhancing performance and his experiences at the Olympic Trials. He also talks about the importance of gratitude in running and his passion for trail running, culminating in significant reflections on sponsorships and challenges faced along the way.

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INSIGHT

Master Mental Toughness by Embracing Pain in Racing

Embrace the pain and mental challenges during races as essential steps to improvement and success. Conner Mantz explains that expecting races to be hard helps in preparing mentally rather than being surprised by difficulty, such as his experience with side stitches and struggling mid-race but pushing through.

Using strategies like gratitude and setting mental cues for difficult moments allows you to dig deeper when suffering feels intense. He shares how during the Olympic Trials, focusing each mile on someone important gave him motivation to keep going at tough points.

Conner emphasizes that mental toughness means deciding how much you want to suffer, especially when your body can handle more but your mind hesitates. This mindset helps push beyond discomfort for better race execution and growth.

ANECDOTE

Conner's Side Stitch Challenge

Conner Mantz experienced a tough race with a side stitch and nearly dropped out.
Hearing crowd cheers motivated him to push through and finish strong despite feeling far from his goal.

ADVICE

Embrace Race Pain Fully

Expect races to be difficult like your hardest practices.
Embrace pain during competition as a normal and necessary part of racing.

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