15-year-old breaks four-minute mile barrier on Rekortan

Racing on Rekortan Gel, New Zealand’s Sam Ruthe runs the fastest mile ever for a 15-year-old

New Zealand’s middle-distance sensation Sam Ruthe has carved his name in athletics history, becoming the youngest person to break the four-minute mile. This record was first broken by Roger Bannister (GBR) in 1954. The 15-year-old clocked a remarkable time of 3:58.35 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, a feat made even more impressive by the less-than-ideal conditions that preceded the race.

Breaking barriers in tough conditions

Despite heavy rain leading up to the race, Ruthe surged through the final lap unphased to secure his record-breaking mark.

Paced throughout the race by training partner and two-time Olympian Sam Tanner (NZ), Ruthe threatened to surpass his pace-maker several times during the final two laps. Tanner edged out the 15-year-old by just six-hundredths of a second, encouraging him with a smile as he achieved a historic milestone.

“Ruthe has been making headlines, steadily proving himself as one of track and field’s freshest young talents.”

A historic achievement in middle-distance running

Sam Ruthe is no stranger to breaking records. Ruthe has been making headlines, steadily proving himself as one of track and field’s freshest young talents. His sub-four-minute mile is the latest in a series of notable performances, following his dominance in the 3000m, where he first broke the 15-year-old world best in November 2024 before lowering it twice more, most recently to 7:56.18. Earlier this month, Ruth shared the New Zealand senior 1500m title with Tanner after a thrilling tie for first place with both crossing the finish line at the same time of 3:44.31 in a photo finish. With his incredible endurance and ability to perform under pressure, the young Kiwi has firmly established himself as a generational talent on the track.

Ruthe’s time outpaces Olympic Champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), who first broke the four-minute barrier at the age of 16, as well as Cam Myers (AUS), who ran on Rekortan at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne, earning him the fastest mile time for a 16-year-old in 3:55.44.

Pushing limits on Rekortan Gel

The Go Media Stadium features a Rekortan Gel G13 surface (World Athletics Class 2 certified), which was installed by Polytan in 2023 as part of a complete redesign of the stadium’s infrastructure.

Rekortan Gel is the only gel track in the world setting the gold standard for performance and athlete welfare. Its unique composition includes trillions of liquid bubbles that effectively disperse force while returning energy in a way no other track can.