A 16-year-old runner from New Zealand has set a world record. On January 31, Sam Ruthe ran a mile in 3:48.88 (three minutes and just under 49 seconds). The race took place in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the fastest mile ever by an under-18 runner.
Going into the second lap, Sam was in second place. He pulled ahead during the final 100 meters (about 328 feet), and finished 1.43 seconds faster than the next runner.
“I didn’t feel like I was going that fast, to be honest,” Sam told sports news outlet FloTrack after the race. He said he felt “stoked” about his performance.
Sam’s time also set a new New Zealand national record for runners of any age. That’s according to Athletics New Zealand. He broke Olympian John Walker’s record mile time of 3:49.08, set in 1982.
In March 2025, Sam became the youngest athlete on record to run a mile in under four minutes. He finished that race in 3:58.35. It took place in New Zealand.
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