At 38 weeks pregnant, most people are counting down the hours on the couch — but Kylie Mantz isn’t most people.
The expectant mother and competitive runner recently laced up her shoes, stepped onto a track in Provo, Utah, and ran a mile that would leave most non-pregnant athletes in the dust.
Her time? A jaw-dropping 5:26.2 — with pacers, a film crew, and a baby on board.
Here’s the full story of one of the most extraordinary athletic performances you’ll hear about this year.
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A Mile to Remember — 38 Weeks In
The attempt wasn’t a spontaneous decision or a casual jog around the block.
Kylie’s “preggo mile” took place on a track at an elevation of 1,402 metres in Provo, Utah — meaning her 5:26.2 finish translates to approximately 5:22 at sea level.
Pacers kept her on rhythm. A film crew captured every stride. And through all four laps, Kylie stayed locked in.
We started this pregnancy with a marathon, we’re ending it with a mile.
That’s the kind of symmetry only an elite athlete could pull off — and only Kylie Mantz would actually attempt.
How the Splits Broke Down
What’s remarkable isn’t just the finishing time — it’s how remarkably controlled the effort was across all four laps.
- Lap 1: 77.6 seconds
- Lap 2: 82.4 seconds
- Lap 3: 82.9 seconds
- Lap 4: 83.3 seconds
After crossing the line, Kylie reflected on what made the run work — and what she’d do differently.
I stuck with the girls, I was very aware and I took every lap as a win.
As for her one regret?
One thing I did wrong? I should’ve done it last week.
When asked how long until the baby arrives, she and husband Conner were no longer counting days — just hours.
The Woman Behind the Mile
Kylie’s athletic journey is as surprising as the mile itself.
She ran briefly in high school but didn’t train with any real consistency until after marrying professional marathon star Conner Mantz in 2022. Curious about the sport her husband had devoted his life to, she began running more seriously — and the results came fast.
Conner encouraged her to pursue a spot on the Brigham Young University endurance squad, and she delivered. Joining as a walk-on in spring 2025, Kylie posted times of 16:49.68 for the 5,000m and 34:57.36 for the 10,000m — performances that turn heads at any level of competition.
She Won a Marathon — While Unknowingly Pregnant
This is where the story takes a genuinely stunning turn.
Last November, Kylie competed in her marathon debut at the Two Cities Marathon in Fresno, California — and won the women’s race outright, crossing the line in 2:43:49.
Conner ran every single one of those 42.2 kilometres by her side as her pacer. She had entered chasing the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier of 2:37:00, fading slightly in the second half, but a debut marathon victory is no small thing.
What makes it even more extraordinary? Kylie was already pregnant at the time — she just didn’t know it yet.
The couple discovered the news shortly after the race and announced the pregnancy publicly on Valentine’s Day.
The Other Half of Running’s Most Impressive Couple
Conner Mantz is no ordinary training partner to have in your corner.
Just three weeks before pacing Kylie through Fresno, he had shattered the North American marathon record with a stunning 2:04:43 at the Chicago Marathon — one of the fastest times ever recorded on the continent.
Running back-to-back marathon efforts at that level, however, came with consequences. Conner later sustained a sacral stress fracture and was forced to withdraw from the 2025 Boston Marathon — a painful setback for a runner at the very top of his game.
Still, with a record-breaking husband, a marathon victory already on her résumé, and a sub-5:30 mile at 38 weeks pregnant, the Mantz household has a very specific definition of taking it easy.
Something tells us their baby is already destined for great things.
