New Zealand's teenaged running sensation Sam Ruthe has made more history on the track - this time breaking Sir John Walker's 1982 New Zealand Mile record of 3:49.08.
Ruthe, 16, achieved the feat at an eight-lap indoor event at Boston University's Terrier Classic.
In winning the race, Ruthe recorded 3:48.88. The time also beat New Zealand's previous indoor mile record and his own NZ Under-20 mile record.
Incredibly, Ruthe, who moved from second to first over the final lap of the race, now sits at No.11 all time globally for the indoor mile. His time is a record for the Under-18 indoor mile.
"I came into the race expecting to run sub-3:55," Ruthe said immediately after the race. "I wasn't expecting to PB. When I crossed the line and saw 3:48, I was a bit surprised myself.
"I flew out here from New Zealand three days ago... my legs were feeling a bit heavy before this. I think I can run even faster but I'm super-stoked with that.
"We have no indoor tracks in New Zealand and this is my first race on an indoor track."
Fellow Kiwi athlete Sam Tanner, who just beat Ruthe at the recent Cooks International Classic 1500m race in Whanganui, did not finish the race. Ruthe's 3:53.83 in that race was the fastest ever mile run by a 16-year-old.
Asked about his strategy, Ruthe, who looked strong and composed straight after his record-breaking run, said: "My plan was to sit behind my teammate Sam Tanner as we're in similar shape. He probably would have beaten me but about 400m or 600m in he pulled out with an Achilles. I really hope he's OK."
Belgium's Pieter Sisk, a 26-year-old Olympian, was second behind Ruthe.
The Boston race is the first of four of the mile races Ruthe plans to contest this month before returning to New Zealand for the national championships in early March.
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