LINKLETTER ALSO CHASING BIG RECORD AT CHICAGO MARATHONBy David Monti, @d9monti(c) 2025 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
CHICAGO (10-Oct) — Whereas a lot consideration has been centered on Conner Mantz and his quest to interrupt Khalid Khannouchi’s 23 year-old USA marathon report at Sunday’s Financial institution of America Chicago Marathon, much less has been stated about one other athlete’s objective of operating almost the identical time. Rory Linkletter, a Canadian Olympian and the fastest-ever Canadian on the Boston Marathon, hopes to interrupt 2:05:36 in Sunday’s race, a mark which is definitely two seconds sooner than Khannouchi’s USA report. The mark that Linkletter is chasing is each the Canadian and North American marathon report, and each he and Mantz –who have been teammates at Brigham Younger College– have the distinctive alternative to push one another in attaining these parallel targets.
“I heard from Conner that he was going for the American report,” Linkletter instructed reporters at a press convention right here this morning. “The American and Canadian data are nearly the identical, simply Canada’s is 2 seconds sooner. So in concept, there needs to be a possibility for us to work collectively and to push ourselves. Hopefully, we each smash our nationwide data and have an opportunity of decreasing the world report by fairly a bit.”
Initially, Mantz had requested Linkletter if he would tempo him in Chicago. The 2 know one another properly, and Linkletter gave Mantz’s thought severe consideration.
“Boston gave me the concept perhaps 2:05 was doable,” Linkletter, 29, instructed Race Outcomes Weekly in an interview. “I did 2:07 there and a sixth place end extra importantly. I had heard from Conner straight that he could be right here going for the American report. At first he was type of recruiting me to tempo him. He was like, ‘oh, you seemed good in Boston. Possibly you’d need to tempo me?’ I believe he wished, like, a extra private pacer expertise that identical to whoever the race gives. I believe he was placing feelers out for that.”
However after operating one other profitable marathon in Ottawa in Could the place he ran the fastest-ever time by a Canadian on Canadian soil (2:08:31), Linkletter and his coach Jon Inexperienced felt like going for the Canadian and North American report –held by Cam Levins– could be the most effective plan for shifting Linkletter’s marathon profession ahead.
“We talked about it and we determined that we should always go for the report ourselves,” Inexperienced instructed Race Outcomes Weekly in an interview. He continued: “I believe we’re able to shoot for the report.”
To Linkletter, all the things lined as much as strive for Levins’s report at Chicago this 12 months. Pacing Mantz would have been each significant and enjoyable, however as an expert runner Linkletter additionally needed to bear in mind his earnings potential from his subsequent marathon and in addition his worth to different marathons sooner or later if he breaks the report.
“It type of comes all the way down to the skilled aspect of marathoning the place you’re making choices based mostly on funds, timing, what is smart and what doesn’t,” Linkletter defined. “It turned clear to me that Chicago was my finest alternative that checked all of the containers of what I used to be on the lookout for when it comes to an expert alternative: a time trial course with good competitors. Assuming that Conner remains to be on monitor to purpose for that 2:05 vary, then it’s excellent. We are able to work collectively the entire time and have an awesome expertise.”
In fact Mantz may take a giant swing and attempt to run even sooner (his USA half-marathon report of 59:17 is equal to a 2:04:28 marathon in line with the time-tested Riegel Components). Linkletter is prepared for that.
“With Conner Mantz you’re by no means positive the place his coronary heart might lie,” Linkletter stated. “He could also be pondering loads sooner than that.”
To prepare for Chicago, Linkletter has completed all of his coaching at excessive altitude in Flagstaff, Ariz., the place he lives. Inexperienced stated that his athlete has been averaging about 130 miles per week and has been attempting to get extra out of every run. Each Linkletter and Inexperienced stated that this marathon build-up has been wonderful.
“I can’t actually consider any spots the place he faltered within the construct,” Inexperienced stated. He continued: “There wasn’t any weeks or exercises essentially the place I stated we’re in hassle, or something like that. I’m positive if I wished to be nitpicky I may say, that exercise wasn’t 100%. General, we’re in such an awesome house.”
One of many key parts of Inexperienced’s teaching has been to extend the “density” of Linkletter’s coaching: getting extra out of every mile.
“A phrase that has type of come to thoughts for Rory and I in constructing a greater construct is density,” Inexperienced stated. “That’s type of the phrase that we use. How can we put extra work in and get higher in that sense?”
One exercise which has been central to Linkletter’s Chicago coaching is the uphill tempo run. Tempo runs are quick, however not fairly as quick as race tempo. Doing them uphill makes them aerobically tougher whereas placing much less stress on the legs as a result of the tempo is slower than it might be had the route been flat or downhill.
“Uphill tempos have simply been a staple for us,” Inexperienced stated. “This cycle, each two weeks, mainly. We’ve had actual success with them and he’s operating sooner and sooner instances. He did that below Ryan Corridor (his earlier coach) a bit bit as properly; staying in the proper zone and nonetheless operating sooner instances.”
For Sunday, Linkletter will come to the beginning line with extra confidence than in any marathon he’s completed (this might be his 14th). He stated that with out self-belief nothing is feasible in athletics.
“It’s all the things,” Linkletter stated of confidence and self-belief. “In the event you don’t consider you are able to do one thing there’s virtually no manner it’s going to occur. There’s going to be moments within the race the place you’re going to have alternatives to opt-out of no matter your objective is as a result of it’s going to get laborious. Even in my finest races ever I’ve thought there is no such thing as a manner I can preserve doing this, however you keep within the battle.”
