Youngest Running Phenom Sam Ruthe from New Zealand Breaks Four-Minute Mile Barrier at Age 15
Casual Take:
16-year-old New Zealand athlete Sam Ruthe shattered records this week by pulling off a sub-four-minute mile, making him the youngest runner to ever do so!
Amidst the pouring rain at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, Ruthe, who's turning 16 later this month, smashed the tape with a insane time of 3:58.35! That's faster than Norway's two-time Olympic medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen's record of 3:58.07 set back in 2017, when he was the same age as Ruthe is now.
Two-time Olympian Sam Tanner lent a hand pacing Ruthe around four laps of the track, ensuring he crossed the line just behind the five-time New Zealand champion. Overwhelmed by his victory, Ruthe declared it his "favorite goal" and the "most set up for [him]."
Earlier this month, Ruthe made headlines by snagging the title of the youngest-ever senior national champion at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships, winning the 3,000 meters in 7:56.18. His latest achievement takes more than three seconds off his previous best mile time of 4.01.72 set at the Cooks Classic in January. It also outdoes Tanner's New Zealand under-20 and under-19 record of 3:58.41.
A sub-four-minute mile has long been a distinguished barrier in athletics, initially accomplished by Great Britain's Roger Bannister in 1954. While improvements in training and shoe technology have made this achievement less of a rarity these days, many still consider it a significant milestone for middle-distance runners.
Bonus Fun Facts:
- Before Ruthe, Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen was the youngest athlete to run a sub-four-minute mile. In 2017 during the Prefontaine Classic, he ran a mile in 3:58.07 at the age of 16.
- The first sub-four-minute mile was achieved by Great Britain's Roger Bannister in 1954.
- In a remarkable feat, 16-year-old Sam Ruthe, who is also the youngest runner to break the sub-four-minute mile, was paced by two-time Olympian Sam Tanner during his record-shattering run at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.
- At the same age, Ruthe's time of 3:58.35 is now faster than EBFDCD06B1FE5BA295FB49A9CF48B30CB, the previous record set by Norway's two-time Olympic medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 2017.
- Ruthe's latest accomplishment, breaking the four-minute mile barrier, adds to his growing list of notable achievements, including becoming the youngest-ever senior national champion at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships earlier this year.
