New Zealand 15-year-old becomes youngest person to run a four-minute mile
Ruthe warms up ahead of his four-minute-mile attempt.
(CNN) — New Zealand athlete Sam Ruthe made history on Wednesday as he became the youngest person to run a sub-four-minute mile.
Ruthe, who turns 16 in mid-April, ran a time of 3:58.35 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.
According to New Zealand Athletics, Norway’s two-time Olympic medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen was the previous youngest athlete to break the four-minute barrier when he ran 3:58.07 as a 16-year-old.
Ruthe was paced by two-time Olympian Sam Tanner around four laps of the rain-soaked track in Auckland, eventually crossing the line just behind the five-time New Zealand champion.
“This was probably my favorite goal that I’ve reached. I’ve definitely enjoyed this one the most, with all the people here supporting me,” Ruthe said after the race, per Reuters. “This has been the most set up for me, so I’m really happy to have gotten this one.”
Earlier this month, Ruthe became the youngest-ever senior national champion at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships with his victory in the 3,000 meters, clocking 7:56.18.
Wednesday’s performance took more than three seconds off his previous best mile time of 4.01.72, which he set at the Cooks Classic in January, as well as improving on Tanner’s New Zealand under-20 and under-19 record of 3:58.41.
A sub-four-minute mile has long been considered one of the great barriers in athletics, a feat first achieved by Great Britain’s Roger Bannister in 1954.
Developments in training and shoe technology have made it a more common phenomenon in modern times, though many argue that it still retains its aura as a landmark achievement for middle-distance runners.
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