New Zealand’s Sam Ruthe has made history by becoming the youngest athlete and the first 15-year-old to run a mile in under four minutes. He broke the record by two seconds on Wednesday at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.
The middle-distance prodigy completed the race in a remarkable time of 3:58.35, with pacemakers Sam Tanner and Ben Wall also finishing within the four-minute mark.
“This was probably my favourite goal that I’ve reached. I’ve definitely enjoyed this one the most, with all the people here supporting me,” Ruthe said. “This has been the most set up for me, so I’m really happy to have gotten this one.”
Ruthe achieved the record-breaking feat just 24 days short of his 16th birthday, surpassing his previous best time of 4:01.72, which he had set at the Cooks Classic in Whanganui in January.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, a two-time Olympic champion and holder of multiple world records, had previously run the mile in 3:58.07 at the age of 16. Australia’s Cam Myers holds the best time for a 16-year-old at 3:55.44.
Myers, now 18, has continued to impress, having broken the under-20 indoor world mile record twice this year. He most recently clocked an extraordinary 3:47.48 in the Wanamaker Mile in New York in February, marking the first time a teenager had broken 3:48 for the mile, either indoors or outdoors.
Ruthe has been a standout in athletics all summer, having shattered the age-15 world best for 3000m in November and continuing to lower it. His most recent achievement was a time of 7:56.18 at the New Zealand Championships, making him the youngest-ever senior male national champion in any discipline.
With this historic sub-four-minute mile, Ruthe has firmly established himself as one of the most promising young talents in middle-distance running. His trajectory suggests even more records could be within reach as he continues to develop his talent on the world stage.
