Sunday, May 5, 2024, was the final day for Olympic hopefuls to run the Olympic auto-standard of 2:08:10 (men) or 2:26:50 (women). While most spots were claimed via the auto-standard, the rest were meant to be claimed via the World Athletics ranking.
However, according to the World Athletics Road to Paris List, the remaining spots, 11 of them, were allotted “by universality places.”
What this means for hopefuls like Leonard Korir is that their Olympic journey ends here. Despite Team USA being listed as having a third quota spot via World Athletics rankings, the latest update has removed all ranking quota spots.
What is a universality place?
Universality places are awarded to countries that have not qualified any single athlete for athletics events at the Paris Olympics. These countries can then choose to enter one athlete into either the marathon or the 100m.
The men’s US team has been in limbo over the last few months as to whether they would have a third runner in Paris. The Road to Paris List now confirms that Team USA will only have two men on the squad.
Although an unfortunate end for Leonard Korir, let’s meet the American runners heading to Paris to take on a challenging course and deep field in both the men’s and women’s Olympic marathons:
Conner Mantz
Age: 27
World Athletics Profile
Qualification Time: 2:07:47 | Trials Time: 2:09:05
Qualification Race: 2023 Bank of American Chicago Marathon
🥇 2024 US Olympic Team Trials Marathon
2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon – 6th, 1st American
🥇 2022 USATF 20km Champion
🥇 2021 USATF Half Marathon Champion
🥇 2x NCAA Cross-Country Champion
Conner Mantz, who turned professional in December 2021, was a favorite to make the Olympic Team after he quickly made an impact in professional distance running. In 2023, he achieved notable success at the Chicago Marathon, securing a sixth-place overall finish and the top American spot with a time of 2:07:47, meeting the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Earlier that year, Mantz raced the Boston Marathon, finishing as the third American (11th overall) in 2:10:25. His marathon debut occurred at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, where he finished seventh overall with a time of 2:08:16, the second-fastest debut by an American. Before transitioning to marathons, Mantz took fifth place at the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half-Marathon with a time of 1:01:40 and won the USA Half Marathon Championships in Hardeeville, South Carolina, with an impressive time of 1:00:55.
Clayton Young
Age: 30
World Athletics Profile
Qualification Time: 2:08:00 | Trials Time: 2:09:06
Qualification Race: 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
🥈 2024 US Olympic Team Trials Marathon
🥇 4-time USATF Champion (8K, 10K, 15K and 20K)
🥇 2019 NCAA Champion, 10,000m
7th-fastest U.S. marathoner all-time
8-time NCAA All-American
Clayton Young’s standout performance in 2023 was at the Chicago Marathon when he secured a seventh-place finish overall and claimed the second spot among Americans with an impressive time of 2:08:00, meeting the Olympic A standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Prior to this, he clinched national titles in the 8km and 20 km US Road Running Championships in the same year. In 2022, Young finished 18th at the Chicago Marathon, ranking as the fifth American finisher with a time of 2:11:51. His collegiate accomplishments include winning the 10,000 meters at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Fiona O’Keeffe
Age: 25
World Athletics Profile
Qualification Race: 2024 US Olympic Team Trials
Highlights
🥇 2024 US Olympic Team Trials Marathon
🥇 2022 US 10 Mile Championship
4th 2022 Aramco Houston Half Marathon
O’Keefe earned her place at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials by running the Raleigh Half Marathon last December in a blazing 1:09:34, just one day before the qualification deadline. Hailing from Davis, California, O’Keeffe’s path to marathon glory began long before her historic win. A former six-time all-American at Stanford, she transitioned to professional running in 2021, seeking new challenges and aspirations. She faced setbacks early in her career, including a challenging ankle injury. She finished sixth in the 5000m at the 2022 USA Outdoor Championships and missed the 2023 USA Outdoors due to an ankle infection requiring surgery. Her record-breaking debut at the US Olympic Marathon Trials not only secured her a place in history but also marked the beginning of a promising chapter in American distance running.
Emily Sisson
E
World Athletics Profile
Qualification Time: 2:18:29 | Trials Time: 2:22:42
Qualification Race: 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Highlights:
🥈 2024 US Olympic Team Trials Marathon
American Marathon Record Holder (2:18:29)
Second All-Time American Half Marathon (1:06:52, Houston 2023)
2020 Olympics 10,000m – 10th (31:09.58)
Emily Sisson claimed her Olympic spot after placing second at the Olympic Trials with a time of 2:22:42. She currently holds the American record in the marathon with a time of 2:18:29 set at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2022. She also secured a 10th-place finish in the 10,000m at the 2020 Olympics. In the half marathon, Sisson holds the second all-time fastest mark by an American woman, clocking 1:06:52 at the Houston Half Marathon in 2023. She has also excelled in various distances, winning eight USATF Championships from 5K to the half marathon. Additionally, Sisson achieved notable performances in the World Athletics Championships, finishing 9th in 2017 and 10th in 2019 in the 10,000m event.
Dakotah Lindwurm
Age: 29
World Athletics Profile
Qualification Race: 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Highlights
🥉 2024 US Olympic Team Trials Marathon
🥈 2023 Grandma’s Marathon
🥇 2022 Grandma’s Marathon
🥉 2022 USATF 25K Championships
Dakotah Lindwurm was the surprise final qualifier for the US Olympic marathon team, after clinching the bronze ahead of some of the favorites. Lindwurm graduated from St. Francis High School in 2013, where she participated in track, cross country, and hockey. At Northern State University, she competed in cross country and track, qualifying for the DII Nationals five times and earning All-American honors in 2017. After college, she focused on professional running, winning the USATF Minnesota 8k Championship and the Women Run the Cities 10 Mile, and making her half marathon debut with a time of 1:16:16 at the Garry Bjorklund Half. In September 2018, she joined the Minnesota Distance Elite team.
