15-Year-Old Sam Ruthe Smashes NZ U17 and U18 3000m Records

Sam Ruthe, 15, Smashes NZ U17 and U18 3000m Records, Sets World Best for Age Group.

Fifteen-year-old Sam Ruthe delivered a stunning performance at the ACA Race Night in Auckland, breaking the New Zealand U17 and U18 3000m records with a time of 8:09.68. Held on Wednesday, November 20, at GoMedia Stadium, his time also eclipsed the previous world best for a 15-year-old, set by Japan’s Yota Mashiko in 2022 (8:11.12).

He bettered the old NZ U17 record of 8:16.77, set by Nick Moulai in 2016 at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship at Trusts Arena, Waitakere. He also improved the U18 record of 8:10.72, set by Christian De Vaal in 2022.
Ruthe was also within range of the 8:04.25 U20 record set by Will Anthony at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui in 2022.

Ruthe is well coached by Craig Kirkwood, one of New Zealand’s leading distance coaches. Based in Tauranga, Kirkwood is also the coach of two-time Olympian Sam Tanner and two-time Olympic medallist Hayden Wilde in the Triathlon.

Sam’s success is no surprise, given his lineage. His father, Ben Ruthe, is a former national champion with a personal best of 1:48.95 for 800m and 3:41.22 for 1500m. His mother, Jessica Ruthe, is a multiple-time New Zealand champion across distances from 1500m to 10,000m. Even his maternal grandparents, Olympians Trevor and Rosemary Wright, brought elite talent to the family. Rosemary, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, held the Scottish 800m record (2:00.15) for 30 years.

“He’s a beast”, proclaimed Ruthe’s coach Craig Kirkwood.
“I knew he’d be quick… when we heard that the race was set up as a U17 record attempt, we thought we’d head up and see if we could get among it.”
“We thought he’d be in the region of the (U17) record, but to get under 8.10 was impressive.”

“He’s part of a great group of young guys. He’s just out there enjoying it, having fun and racing hard… They all believe they can find success, and they build off each other. It’s hard to be successful when you don’t know what that looks like.”

“I didn’t have really have the records in mind; I just really wanted to beat Caleb (Wagener)”. Ruthe commented on his goals for the race. Pace markers led the race until the last pacemaker dropped off around the 2km mark.

“I took the lead with around 800m to go and on the last lap I was just trying to drop him (Wagener).”

Ruthe noted that he wasn’t sure what to expect on the night. “I was so surprised. I thought I was going to be around the mid-20s.”

Ruthe credits his training group for his early success: “100% the reason I’m as good as I am is because of our training group. We all push each other, but not too hard.”

Ruthe will line up at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in Timaru from December 6th to 8th, followed by the Night of 5s in Auckland on December 21st.

Image Credit: Rob Rickerby – ACA