The New Zealand teenager creates history by running 3:58.35 on home soil at the age of just 15, as Gavin Riley reports
New Zealand athletics sensation Sam Ruthe has become the first 15-year-old to run a mile in under four minutes, after clocking 3:58.35 in Auckland (March 19).
Ruthe, who had Sam Tanner as a pacemaker at a wet Go Media Stadium, placed behind the double Olympian by just six hundredths of a second.
The teenager accomplished his mission however, with the race specially staged for Ruthe to potentially make sub-four history.
It was a realistic goal, given the 15-year-old secured a world-age-best of 3:41.25 over 1500m last month. However, the immediate pre-race signs were not encouraging. Auckland had endured a squally day and although the weather had settled down for the 8.15pm start under lights, the track was still very wet on the inside lane.
New Zealand 800m champion Ethan Smolej took the field through 400m in 56 seconds and 800m in 1:57, before Tanner took over and, with Ruthe a stride behind, reached the bell in 2:58.
Tanner upped the pace round the final bend but Ruthe all but closed the gap between them in the race to the line, with the double Olympian encouraging the teenager on. It was a near repeat of their tie for the national 1500m title just ten days ago but on this occasion Tanner prevailed with a time of 3:58.29.
New Zealand has produced three mile-world-record holders in the past – Jack Lovelock, Peter Snell and John Walker – so Ruthe is following in famous footsteps.
Concerns that he may be running too well for his tender years – he has also clocked a world age-best 7:56.18 for 3000m – are considerably lessened by several factors. First, his parents Ben and Jess won numerous national running titles between them and his maternal grandparents Trevor and Rosemary Wright claimed a European marathon silver medal and a Commonwealth Games 800m gold medal respectively.
Second, he has a canny coach in former marathon runner Craig Kirkwood, who keeps him on a light training schedule suitable for a teenager. Kirkwood also coaches 3:49 miler Tanner and Olympic triathlon silver medallist Hayden Wilde, with the training group containing around 40 athletes.
Sam Ruthe and Sam Tanner (Athletics NZ)
Third, Ruthe is blessed with an unruffled demeanour, a powerful and relaxed stride, and (as his amazing results this year have shown) formidable mental strength.
He says racing enjoyment is what motivates him and he’s…
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