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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Eva Corlett in Wellington

‘I think I could run even faster’: the NZ teenager shattering athletics records

New Zealand middle-distance runner Sam Ruthe (centre in black)
In January, Sam Ruthe, pictured in black at a running event in Auckland in 2025, ran the fastest mile ever run by an athlete under 18. Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty Images

Before the teenage New Zealand runner, Sam Ruthe, took to Boston University’s famous indoor track in January, he told his father he was aiming to run a 3.48-minute mile.

The 16-year-old had already stunned the athletics world in 2025, when he became the youngest person ever to break the four-minute mile barrier – aged 15 – but his father, Ben Ruthe, raised his eyebrows over his son’s aspirations for his next race, which if achieved could mean he will be considered for New Zealand Commonwealth Games selection.

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