15-year-old Sam Ruthe breaks the record for the youngest sub-four-minute mile

Sam Ruthe of New Zealand has made history as the youngest athlete and the first 15-year-old to run a mile in under four minutes. 

At Mt. Smart Stadium in Auckland, the young athlete broke the record by two seconds, completing the race in three minutes and 58.35 seconds. The middle-distance star was supported by pacemakers Sam Tanner and Ben Wall, both of whom also finished the race under the four-minute mark. 

With the win, Ruthe said: “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.” 

“This has been the most set up for me, so I’m really happy to have gotten this one,” the young athlete added. 

A social media post made by Athletics New Zealand stated: “3:58.35 Mile @sam.ruthe 15 years old 🇳🇿 That’s it. That’s the post.”

 

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Ruthe, who set the record 24 days before turning 16, improved on his previous personal best of four minutes and 1.72 seconds, which he set at the Cooks Classic in Whanganui in January. 

There have been 16-year-olds who ran the mile in under four minutes. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world record holder, ran the mile in 3:58.07 at 16, while Australia’s Cam Myers holds the current best time for a 16-year-old with 3:55.44.