New Zealand's Sam Ruthe, a 15-year-old middle-distance runner, has etched his name in history by becoming the youngest individual to break the four-minute mile. The achievement took place at Go Media Stadium.
Ruthe clocked in at three minutes 58.35 seconds, finishing second to Olympian Sam Tanner, who won with a time of three minutes 58.29 seconds. Ben Wall also broke the four-minute barrier, finishing in three minutes 59 seconds.
Ruthe's recent accomplishments include breaking the 15-year-old world best for 3000m in November, subsequently lowering it twice, with his best being seven minutes 56.18 seconds in Hastings. He also became the youngest-ever senior national champion.
At the New Zealand Track and Field Championships, Ruthe tied for gold in the senior 1500m with Tanner, marking an unprecedented dead heat in national history with a time of three minutes 44.31 seconds.