The world’s best by a mile: Sizzling Sam Ruthe strides his way into athletics history

Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Not even Auckland’s inclement autumn weather could rain on Sam Ruthe’s parade as the precocious Tauranga 15-year-old ran his way into athletics history in Auckland on Wednesday night.

The Kiwi middle-distance phenom from Tauranga put the crowning glory on a golden summer when he became the youngest ever athlete in the world to run a sub-4-minute mile, coming home second, behind pacemaker, double Olympian and training partner Sam Tanner, in the ACA Mile night at Mount Smart Stadium.

Ruthe finished in 3 minutes 58.35 seconds to cross the line just sixth-hundreths of a second behind Tanner’s 3:58.29 and eclipse the magical mark for the first time in his remarkable young life. His previous best had been the 4.01.72 he ran at the Cooks Classic in Whanganui in January.

Sam Ruthe was guided home by Sam Tanner to become the youngest athlete to break the 4-minute mile barrier in Auckland.

In going sub-4 on a cool but calm night, in which the Auckland rain stopped in almost perfect harmony, Ruthe, the young star of the New Zealand athletics summer, became both the youngest person ever and the first 15-year-old in history to break the iconic mark. He conceded later it was probably his finest achievement in a golden season. And given what this young man has achieved already over the last few months, that’s saying something.

First let’s put this into perspective. A 15-year-old – 15 years and 341 days, to be exact – just ran a sub-4 mile. Under pressure. With the weight of expectation on his slender shoulders. It was his last crack at it at this age. He stepped into the bright lights and … performed his behind off.

More perspective. Two-time Olympic champion and current three-time world record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway ran 3:58.07 at 16. Australia’s Cam Myers, the hottest young middle-distance prospect on the scene, set the current best for a 16-year-old at 3:55.44. Neither broke 4 minutes as 15-year-olds.

That is the trajectory Ruthe is on. And this is a young man who only began running seriously at 13, and still only trains around 60km a week (less than half of Tanner’s workload). As his coach Craig Kirkwood notes, he is “only scratching the surface' of what he is capable of.

Sam Ruthe says his first ever sub-4min mile is the finest achievement of his breakout season on the track.

But he ran the race of an athlete many, many years older as he tucked himself in behind Tanner – a 3:49 miler – from the gun in front of a small but vocal crowd at the Auckland suburban track. Two-lapper Ethan Smolej led them out for the first half and Tanner took over thereafter, dragging the teen through in almost perfect synchronicity as the final lap turned into a flat-out speed test between the two Sams from Tauranga and third-placed Benjamin Wall who also set a four-second PB with his first ever sub-4 – 3:59.00..

“He was always going to take me the whole way,” said Ruthe of the pacemaking Tanner who took him stride-for-stride to the finish, and notched up another sub-4 of his own in the process. “He completely guided me the whole way and paced me perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for better pacing. Every single lap was hit perfectly. Every single target Craig set, he hit perfectly. That was the best help.”

Ruthe said soon after the finish his achievement “hasn’t really set in yet” but was sure it would when he took time to reflect. He has no special celebration plans, other than a “good meal and then going to bed pretty early”.

Conditions, he said, ended up near perfect.

It was a magical night for Tauranga teen Sam Ruthe at Mount Smart as he ran his way into athletics history.

“About an hour before this I was getting a bit scared, as it was hammering down,” he said. “But the rain seemed to clear perfectly in time for our race which was real nice.”

Asked where this achievement ranked in a remarkable summer that saw him claim two national senior titles and claim numerous global firsts for his age, Ruthe thought briefly.

“This was probably my favourite goal I’ve reached. I definitely enjoyed this one the most with all the people here supporting me. This has been the most set up for me. I’m really happy to have gotten this one.”

And when he crossed the line and realised the digits were still in the 3s?

“It was absolutely magical to cross with my training partner Sam. One of the nicest feelings ever.”

Already this season the teenager has shattered the 15-year-old world best for 3000m three times – most recently running 7:56.18 at the national championship in Hastings, a victory that also made him the youngest-ever senior national champion in any event.

Then, at the recent national champions in Dunedin, he possibly outdid himself, tying for gold (in 3:44.51) in an unprecedented finish to the senior 1500m with the 24-year-old Tanner – a truly world-class middle-distance athlete.

The women’s mile on Wednesday night was won by Hamilton’s Boh Ritchie in 4:45.42, holding out the fast-finishing Scarlett Robb of Auckland in 4:46.29, with Lisa Hellyer third in 4:48.46. All three top place-getters ran PBs for the distance.