Young runner Sam Ruthe celebrating after breaking the mile world record at Boston University indoor track

Teen Smashes 44-Year Mile Record After 50-Hour Flight

🀯 Mind Blown

Sam Ruthe, just 16, broke New Zealand's 44-year-old mile record three days after flying 50 hours from home. The time makes him the youngest runner ever to break 3:50 and the 11th-fastest miler in history.

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A teenager who'd never run on an indoor track just rewrote the history books after one of the world's longest flights.

Sam Ruthe of New Zealand clocked 3:48.88 in the mile at Boston University on his first-ever indoor race, shattering a national record that stood since 1982. The 16-year-old beat the mark set by Sir John Walker, a legendary Olympic champion, by just over two-tenths of a second.

Here's the kicker: Ruthe arrived in Boston just three days earlier after 50 hours of travel. "My legs were feeling heavy beforehand," he told broadcasters after the race. "I wasn't really expecting a personal best."

He'd aimed for under 3:55. Instead, he became the youngest athlete in history to run faster than 3:50 and currently ranks as the 11th-fastest miler ever recorded indoors.

The performance caps an extraordinary month for the young New Zealander. One week before Boston, he set an Oceania under-18 record in the mile at 3:53.83. A week before that, he broke the regional under-18 record for 800 meters. In December, he did it again in the 5,000 meters.

Teen Smashes 44-Year Mile Record After 50-Hour Flight

Ruthe's breakout inspired the entire field at Boston University. Twenty-five runners finished under four minutes, with Belgium's Pieter Sisk taking second in 3:50.31 for a new Belgian national record.

Why This Inspires

What makes Ruthe's story so compelling isn't just the speed. It's the pure joy of discovery mixed with untapped potential.

After experiencing his first indoor track, Ruthe gushed to reporters: "It just makes me love indoor tracks. I want to come here as much as possible." This wasn't a seasoned pro grinding out another record. This was a kid falling in love with something new and excelling beyond his own expectations.

The math on his future is staggering. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen holds the world indoor mile record at 3:45.14, set when he was 24 years old. Ruthe is 16 and just 3.74 seconds behind, giving him eight years to close a gap he's already shown he can attack.

At 16, Ingebrigtsen hadn't run times equivalent to what Ruthe just posted. Time, quite literally, is on the young New Zealander's side.

Sometimes the brightest stars announce themselves when you least expect it, jet-lagged and racing for the first time in an unfamiliar setting.

More Images

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Based on reporting by Google News - World Record

This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.

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