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Utah Runners Dominate USATF 20K Championships, New Haven Road Race

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By Clay Shaw
Photography by Clay Shaw and Karen Mitchell

9.1.25 New Haven, CT—Conner Mantz of Provo, Utah set a new American 20k record of 56:16 while winning the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race (20k).  Mantz also won in 2022.

Aubrey Frentheway of Provo, UT won her first major road race and USATF 20k title in 1:05:36. In total, nine Utah athletes placed in the top twenty, three men and six women from the high-altitude Beehive State.

Mantz, along with 2024 New Haven Road Race champion Hillary Bor of Colorado Springs and Isai Rodriguez of Durham, NC, broke away from the rest of the men early and it became a three-man race most of the way.  Record setting is helped by great completion, athlete fitness, and a bit of luck with weather.  It was cool with a light, cloudy layer, low 60’s, ideal racing weather for Labor Day.  Bor was second in 56:32. Isai Rodriguez was third in 56:34.  All three men were well under the course record of 57:37 that was set in 1998 by Khalid Khannouchi. Zouhair Talbi of Colorado Springs ran alone most of the race and finished fourth in 57:40. Casey Clinger of Provo, UT was fifth in 58:05.

Biruktayit Degefa of Colorado Springs, a recent new USA Citizen was second in 1:05:42; she is originally from Ethiopia.  Ednah Kurgat of Colorado Springs was third in 1:05:46. Maggie Montoya of Lafayette, CO was fourth in 1:05:57.  Carrie Elwood of Boulder was fifth in 1:06:08, as four Colorado women followed Frentheway, rounding out the top five.

Masters star Sara Hall was ninth in 1:07:09 and Sam Chelanga was ninth in 58:38, as both continue strong elite performances after turning forty.

The Faxon Law New Haven Road Race is a strong, diverse community event that features a children’s run around the block fun run, a 5k, the famous 20k, and a half-marathon, The races are staged at the New Haven Green in downtown New Haven.  The 20k has been going strong since Bill Rodgers won in 1978.  Only in 2020 was there no race.

This was our third year covering the event, after years of it being on the wish list for a long time. This year we took the train up from Mt Joy, PA to New Haven.  We learn more about the city and its history each visit.  Looking forward to 2026.

Full Results

Top Women

  1.  1:05:36 Aubrey Frentheway, 26, Provo, UT
  2. 1:05:42 Biruktayit Degefa, 34, Colorado Springs, CO
  3. 1:05:46 Ednah Kurgat, 34, Colorado Springs, CO
  4. 1:05:57 Maggie Montoya, 30, Lafayette, CO
  5. 1:06:08 Carrie Elwood, 31, Boulder, CO
  6. 1:06:44 Makenna Myler, 33, Orem, UT
  7. 1:06:54 Annie Frisbie, 28, Hopkins, MN
  8. 1:07:09 Sara Hall, 42, Flagstaff, AZ
  9. 1:07:17 Megan Sailor, 27, Dorechter, MA
  10. 1:07:47 Kasandra Parker, 26, Waverly, IA
  11. 1:08:08 Savannah Berry, 29, Orem, UT
  12. 1:08:11 Annamaria Kostarelis, 26, Albuquerque, NM
  13. 1:08:43 Elena Hayday, 25, Minneapolis, MN
  14. 1:09:08 Hannah Branch, 26, Orem, UT
  15. 1:10:18 Anne-Marie Blaney, 31, Rochester Hills, MI
  16. 1:10:31 Annabel Stafford, 24, North Grafton, MA
  17. 1:10:41 Morgan Jensen, 23, Sandy, UT
  18. 1:10:42 Olivia Borowiak, 24, Yorkville, IL
  19. 1:10:45 Elizabeth Chikotas, 29, Draper, UT
  20. 1:11:57 Gabrielle Orie, 26, Orchard Park, NY

Top Men

  1.  56:16 Conner Mantz, 28, Provo, UT
  2. 56:32 Hillary Bor, 35, Colorado Springs, CO
  3. 56:34 Isai Rodriguez, 27, Durham, NC
  4. 57:40 Zouhair Talbi, 30, Colorado Springs, CO
  5. 58:05 Casey Clinger, 26, Provo, UT
  6. 58:23 Shadrack Kipchirchir, 36, Colorado Springs, CO
  7. 58:32 Skylar Stidam, 25, Floyds Knobs, IN
  8. 58:36 Aidan Reed, 27, Boulder, CO
  9. 58:38 Sam Chelanga, 40, Fayetteville, NC
  10. 58:40 Robert Miranda, 25, Los Angeles, CA
  11. 58:51 Creed Thompson, 22, Provo, UT
  12. 59:01 Zach Panning, 30, Washington, MI
  13. 59:05 Eric Van Der Els, 27, Blowing Rock, NC
  14. 59:28 JP Flavin, 27, Rochester Hills, MI
  15. 59:35 Emad Bashir Mohammed, 22, Colorado Springs, CO
  16. 59:45 Merga Gemeda, 26, Minnetonka, MN
  17. 59:54 Travis Martin, 24, New Haven, CT
  18. 59:59 Jack Mastrandrea, 27, Greenville, SC
  19. 1:00:02 Galen Rupp, 39, Portland, OR
  20. 1:00:14 Graham Crawford, 32, Charlottesville, VA
Conner Mantz of Provo, UT sets a new American record of 56:16 in winning the USATF 20K Championships. The Faxon Law New Haven Road Races have been going strong since 1978.
Aubrey Frentheway of Provo, UT has a big smile as she is about to win her first USATF Championship. Frentheway won in 1:05:36.
USATF 20K Champions are both from Provo, Utah. Conner Mantz (56:16) and Aubrey Frentheway (1:05:36). Mantz set a new 20k American record and a new New Haven Road Race 20k record. Frentheway won her first USATF Championship.
Beautiful buildings of the Yale University area are a good backdrop for the leaders of the USATF 20k/New Haven Road Race. Isai Rodriguez, Conner Mantz, and Hillary Bor set the early pace.
Isai Rodriguez #63, Hillary Bor #1, and Conner Mantz #2 lead the way early, two blocks into the New Haven Road Race 20K.
Fast racing, ideal weather, as all three men here broke Khalid Khannouchi’s 1998 course record. Isai Rodriguez, Hillary Bor, and Conner Mantz became the first three men to finish under 57 minutes in race history.
Conner Mantz #2 leads at halfway with Isai Rodriguez #63 and Hillary Bor #1 headed for podium spots, running far ahead of the rest of the elite field.
Lead fast women run in a big pack. Race winner Aubrey Frentheway #17, with Savannah Berry, Biruktayit Degefa #54, Ednah Kurgat #14, Carrie Elwood #11, and Annie Frisbie #10.
Aubrey Frentheway (left), Biruktayit Degefa #54, Carrie Elwood #11, Edna Kurgat #14, Annie Frisbie #10, Megan Sailor #13 and a few others in a huge lead pack just after the halfway point.
Aidan Reed #25 of Boulder, CO sets the pace with Robert Miranda #41 of Los Angeles, Creed Thompson #44 of Provo, and Emad Bashir Mohammed #23 of Colorado Springs.
Galen Rupp #3 of Portland, OR runs with Tai Dinger #34 of Somerville, MA, and Graham Crawford #46 of Charlottesville, VA near the halfway point in the 20K.
Biruktayit Degefa of Colorado Springs, CO was second in 1:05:42. The former Ethiopian citizen, recently earned USA citizenship.
Maggie Montoya of Lafayette, CO was fourth in 1:05:57.
Zouhair Talbi of Colorado Springs, CO was fourth in 57:40.
Carrie Elwood of Boulder, CO was fifth in 1:06:08.
Casey Clinger of Provo, UT was fifth in 58:05.
Casey Clinger of Provo, UT runs with Shadrack Kipchirchir of Colorado Springs, CO. Clinger was fifth in 58:05; Kipchirchir was sixth in 58:23.
Skylar Stidam of Floyds Knobs, IN was seventh in 58:32.
Sara Hall of Flagstaff, AZ was eighth overall and top master in 1:07:09.
Sam Chelanga of Fayetteville, NC was ninth overall and top master in 58:38.
Robert Miranda of Los Angeles was tenth in 58:40.
Kasandra Parker of Waverly, IA was tenth in 1:07:47.
Zach Panning of Washington, MI was twelfth in 59:01.
Annamaria Kostarelis of Albuquerque, NM was twelfth in 1:08:11.
Elena Hayday of Minneapolis, MN was thirteenth in 1:08:43.
Emad Bashir Mohammed of Colorado Springs, CO was fifteenth in 59:35.
Annabel Stafford of North Grafton, MA was sixteenth in 1:10:31.
Children’s run at the New Haven Green. They have their game faces on, and going for it.
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3 replies

  1. jibski00@aol.com's avatar
    jibski00@aol.com
    September 3, 2025 • 3:22 pm

    As usual- the Masters- Men & Women are the forgotten species

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    • mitchpa's avatar
      mitchpa
      September 3, 2025 • 6:05 pm

      Hi: Thanks for reading our article. You probably noticed that the event we covered is the USATF 20K Championships, open competition, as opposed to age groups, with approximately 50 runners. Sara Hall, 42, finished 8th and Sam Chelanga, 40, finished 9th as noted in the photo captions.

      There were other races in the event which we didn’t cover. If you tap on “Full Results,” you can see those runners’ results.

      Thanks for your comments.

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