Athletics: Sam Ruthe sets new benchmark in 800m a day after breaking 1500m record at secondary schools championships

Sam Ruthe set a new New Zealand Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships record in the 800m this morning. Photo / Photosport

Another day, another record.

Sam Ruthe is making bettering long-standing benchmarks something of a habit, writing his name into the record books for the second time in as many days this morning.

The teenage runner’s 800m time of 1m 46.81s in the final at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships set a new record for the meeting. Ruthe passed the previous record set by Brad Mathis in 2011, which was 1m 50.24s.

The 16-year-old from Tauranga Boys’ College wasn’t the only one in the final to better Mathis’ mark, with runner-up Joe Martin from Wellington College finishing in 1m 49.74s.

Ruthe also finished with a better time than the current Under-17, U18, U19 and U20 national records in the 800m.

The result came just a day after he shattered the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ 1500m record.

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He stopped the clock at 3m 38.62s in the first semi-final of that event, surpassing the previous best time by eight seconds.

That record was set by former Commonwealth Games runner Richard Potts in 1989.

The 1500m final is scheduled to run at 2pm today.

The records add to what has been a big year for the teenage star.

In March, aged 15, the Tauranga Boys’ College student became the youngest person to run a sub-four-minute mile, becoming the 49th New Zealander to break the milestone target in Auckland, in 3m 58.35s.

Olympian Sam Tanner helped lead Ruthe in the second half of that race, setting the pace for the teenager towards the finish line.

Ruthe finished second behind Tanner in 3m 58.35s, with third-placed Ben Wall also breaking the four-minute mile to become the 50th New Zealander to do so.

In July, Ruthe lowered his own national U17 and U18 1500m records with his performance during the Sound Running Sunset Tour in Los Angeles.