A prodigious 15-year-old Kiwi became the youngest in the world ever to run a mile in less than four minutes in a mind-bending feat in Auckland on Wednesday night.
Sam Ruthe clocked 3:58.35 at the ACA Mile Night to burst through the iconic barrier 24 days short of his 16th birthday.
In a potential indication of the incredible career that may await the New Zealand teenager, the previous youngest sub-four-minute miler was Jakob Ingebrigtsen — the Norwegian superstar who’s won Olympic gold medals in the 1500m and 5000m.
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Ingebrigtsen was 16 years and 250 days when he posted 3:58.07 in the US city of Eugene in 2017.
Precocious Australian talent Cameron Myers was 16 years and 259 days when he blazed through the mile at Melbourne’s Maurie Plant Meet in 3:55.44 in 2023.
Ruthe and Myers will square off in the 1500m at the Maurie Plant Meet next Saturday night.
Wednesday night’s race was won by Kiwi Olympian Sam Tanner in 3:58.29.
Sam Tanner (left) cheering on fellow Kiwi Sam Ruthe as the 15-year-old becomes the youngest sub-four-minute miler in the world in history. Getty
Well aware of the history Ruthe was chasing, Tanner moved into the second lane on the home straight and, repeatedly glancing at the youngster, barked words of encouragement.
When Ruthe crossed the finish line inside four minutes, Tanner thrust his arms in the air, ecstatic for his teammate.
Ruthe was more subdued, but the Tauranga product gestured as if to say “I’ve done it” as he crossed the finish line, and was soon wearing a beaming smile as the gravity of his feat sunk in.
A modest but spirited trackside crowd watched and applauded the historic run.
“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.”
Roger Bannister becomes the first in history to run a sub-four-minute mile, creating history in Oxford in 1954. AP
In Auckland last month, Ruthe ran a 1500m in 3:41.25 to break Ingebrigtsen’s world age-15 best — the 3:42.44 clocked by the Norwegian in Oslo in 2016.
In the 1950s, a three-way battle between Australian John Landy, American Wes Santee and Englishman Roger Bannister to become the first sub-four-minute miler culminated in the latter taking the honours.
On May 6, 1954, at the age of 25, Bannister clocked 3:59.40 in Oxford.
Six weeks later, aged 24, Landy broke Bannister’s newly minted world record with a time of 3:57.90 in the Finnish city of Turku.
Nowadays, sub-four-minute miles are run on an almost weekly basis, and sometimes by a dozen or more in the same race, but for a teenager to crack the mark is staggering.
Sam Tanner (left) and training partner Sam Ruthe on an historic night in Auckland. Getty
