A 15-year-old from New Zealand has become the youngest runner, and the first 15-year-old ever, to run a mile in under four minutes.
Kiwi schoolboy Sam Ruthe, still 24 days shy of his 16th birthday, ran a record three minutes 58.35 seconds for the mile in New Zealand overnight on Wednesday.
Sam Ruthe poses next to his record-breaking time after breaking the four-minute mile.Credit: Getty Images
Roger Bannister was a 25-year-old Oxford University medical student in May 1954, when he became the first person to do what had previously been unreachable and broke four minutes for the mile. Bannister ran 3:59.4.
Seventy years later, a kid who could be running school cross country not only broke four minutes, he bettered Bannister’s time.
“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,” said Ruthe.
“This has been the most set up for me, so I’m really happy to have gotten this one.”
Ruthe’s run now sets up a head-to-head showdown with Australia’s teenage prodigy Cam Myers at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne on Saturday week.
Myers, now 18, holds the fastest ever time for a 16-year-old. He ran 3:55.44 at the Maurie Plant meet two years ago. Myers also set a new world under-20 indoor record for the mile in January this year.
When Myers set his time he pegged himself behind Commonwealth Games gold medallist Olli Hoare, who went on to win the race. Ruthe did similarly, sitting in behind Kiwi Olympian Sam Tanner, the eventual winner.
Hoare will also run next week at the Maurie Plant meet at Albert Park.
Both teenagers have run quicker at younger ages than the man who now dominates the sport, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the two-time Olympic 1500-metre champion and holder of three world records. He ran the mile in ran in 3:58.07 at 16. Myers ran 3:55.44 at 16.
Ruthe has the pedigree for being strong middle distance runner. His dad Ben was a New Zealand 800m and 1000m national record holder and his mum Jess held national cross-country titles while his grandmother Rosemary won 800m gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Myers, Ruthe and Ingebrigtsen have some distance to go to match Bannister’s life achievement despite bettering his mile time. Bannister went on to become a neurologist.
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