You’ve got to be kidding me—this kid’s not even old enough to get behind the wheel, but he’s already burning up the track like a seasoned pro! A 15-year-old phenom from New Zealand has done something remarkable for his age. He has just etched his name into the history books, and his reaction after the victory? Humble, as he said, “This has been the most set up for me, so I’m really happy to have gotten this one.”
The Go Media Stadium in Auckland witnessed this record-breaking run, where Sam Ruthe made history by clocking a mind-blowing 3:58.35 mile surpassing Jakob Ingebrigtsen. That’s right! Sam Ruth—15 years, 11 months, and 6 days old, and he’s the youngest human ever to break the four-minute barrier, leaving legends like Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cam Myers in his dust.
Experts are still rubbing their eyes in disbelief as Tim Adams called his performance “absolutely staggering.” Coach Craig Kirkwood decrees him as an “extremely talented young man” with an “amazing racing brain,” while Zachary Gates, an Olympics analyst, reminded the world to “remember the name.”
Let’s put this in perspective: back in 2017, a 16-year-old Jakob—already a freak of nature—ran 3:58.07, setting the bar for teenage greatness in a four-minute barrier before going on to dominate with a personal best of 3:43.73, third-fastest all time. Then there’s Myers, the Aussie wunderkind, who hit 3:55.44 at 16 in 2023 and just last month ripped a 3:47.48 indoors. Now here comes Ruthe, not even 16, smashing New Zealand’s U19 and U20 records—previously held by his training partner, two-time Olympian Sam Tanner—and making it look effortless on a rain-soaked track.
That’s insane! 15 years old and already sub-4 miler!
Sam Ruthe just made history, running 3:58.35 in Auckland to become the youngest man ever to break 4 minutes in the mile!
He beats Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s record (3:58.07 at 16y, 8m) and also sets a National U20 Record! pic.twitter.com/nvG0QycWhd
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) March 19, 2025
“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 told Reuters after his win. Even at the Dunedin Nationals, he managed to outperform himself, as he tied for that gold in 1,500 meters (3:44.51) with the 24-year-old Tanner in a historic finish. And when your performances are this solid, it’s bound to attract some attention. Let’s just say that the fans didn’t disappoint with their comments.
Fans freak out as the 15-year-old redefines fast
Track fans are losing their minds over Sam Ruthe’s unreal 3:58.35 mile at just 15 years old, and honestly, who can blame them? “This kid has an amazing future ahead of him,” one hyped-up supporter declared on X, and that’s putting it mildly after he torched the Go Media Stadium track in Auckland to become the youngest sub-4 miler ever. Another fan couldn’t wrap their head around it, shouting, “Can’t drive a car but can run a sub-4… absolutely unreal!”
And rightfully so, not just this performance but his previous performances back him too. Once he broke the 15-year-old 3,000m world record last November, he lowered it twice more. And most recently, he put up 7:56.18 run in Hastings to become the youngest senior national champion. And let’s not forget that back in January, he smashed his previous personal best time of 4:1.72 set at the Cooks Classic in Whanganui.
It’s the kind of jaw-dropping feat that’s got everyone buzzing—because seriously, how does a kid too young for a learner’s permit outrun history like that? The vibe online is pure awe, with one diehard calling it an “amazing result of hard work and dedication,” crediting Ruthe’s grind for this mind-blowing moment.
But the reactions don’t stop at shock—fans are already putting Ruthe’s run in perspective and hyping up the next wave. “Guarantee some Kenyan has run sub-4 at age 14 in practice or something,” one skeptic chimed in, half-joking about the legendary East African running pipeline, though no one’s digging up receipts to challenge Ruthe’s official record yet. Still, the sentiment’s clear: this kid’s part of something bigger. “New Gen kids are a weekly occurrence at this point,” another fan marveled, pointing to how teens like Ruthe, Ingebrigtsen, and Myers keep rewriting the script.
Sam’s father, Ben Ruthe marvels at his son’s cool-headedness, saying the shy 15-year-old executed his race plan perfectly to break the sub-4-minute mile record. Praising Sam, he further said, “He actually seemed to have handled it pretty well and just I’m just proud of him for the way that he handles the amount of pressure.”
Calling Tanner an incredible human being, he also thanked him, “For them to be teammates and for Sam Tanner to come out and help the way that he did. I mean, he literally paced Sam to break his own New Zealand under-20 record by point 0.6s last night. He won the race, but he lost his record.”
From stunned gasps to wild predictions, the fanbase is riding the Ruthe wave hard—and they’re loving every second of it! What are your thoughts on his performance? Let us know in the comments section below.
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