Sam Ruthe: 1500m world record - Kiwi becomes youngest ever to break four-minute mile

Sam Ruthe is the youngest person ever to break the magic four-minute mile barrier. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand’s middle-distance prodigy Sam Ruthe has become the youngest person in history to break the four-minute-mile barrier.

The 15-year-old from Tauranga became the 49th New Zealander to break the milestone target, doing so at a wet Go Media Stadium in Auckland tonight.

Olympian Sam Tanner helped lead Ruthe in the second half of the race, setting the pace for the teenager towards the finish line.

Ruthe eventually finished second behind Tanner in 3m 58.35s.

Ben Wall also broke the mark for the first time in 3m 59s, as all three went under four minutes. Tanner won in a time of 3m 58.29s.

Sam Ruthe (right) crosses the finish line next to Sam Tanner to become the youngest person ever to break the magic four-minute mile barrier. Photo / Photosport

Ruthe has been making headlines all summer. He first shattered the 15-year-old world best for 3000m in November, then lowered it twice more – most recently running 7m 56.18s in Hastings.

That victory also made him the youngest-ever senior national champion in any event.

Then, at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships, he did the unthinkable – tying for gold in the senior 1500m with Tanner.

Their 3m 44.31s dead-heat was unprecedented in national history.

Ruthe’s trajectory places him among the sport’s most elite teenage milers.

Two-time Olympic champion and current three-time world record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen, of Norway, ran 3m 58.07s at 16. Australia’s Cam Myers set the former record for a 16-year-old at 3m 55.44s.

New Zealand has a storied history in the mile. Sir John Walker became the first man to break 3m 50s for the mile in 1975, before claiming Olympic gold over 1500m the following year.

Before Walker, Kiwi greats such as Sir Peter Snell and Jack Lovelock set world records and redefined middle-distance running.

The four-minute mile has been a middle-distance running benchmark since Britain’s Sir Roger Bannister first ran under the mark in 1954.