Sam Ruthe Becomes First 15-Year-Old to Run a Sub-4-Minute Mile

New Zealand's rising star Sam Ruthe has made headlines by becoming the youngest athlete—and the first 15-year-old in history—to complete a mile in under four minutes.

He smashed through the barrier with an impressive time of 3 minutes and 58.35 seconds on Wednesday at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, shaving two seconds off the previous age-group milestone.

Ruthe, a promising middle-distance runner, was supported by pacemakers Sam Tanner and Ben Wall, who both also finished the race in under four minutes.

“This was my favorite goal that I’ve ever achieved. I’ve really enjoyed this one the most, especially with so many people here cheering me on,” Ruthe shared after the race. “Everything was set up perfectly for me today, so I’m really happy to have made it happen.”

His remarkable achievement came just 24 days shy of his 16th birthday. Ruthe improved on his previous personal best of 4:01.72, which he set earlier this year at the Cooks Classic in Whanganui.

For context, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen two-time Olympic champion and multiple world record holder ran a 3:58.07 mile at 16 years old.

Australia’s Cam Myers currently holds the fastest mile time for a 16-year-old, clocking 3:55.44.