Sam Ruthe. Photo / Photosport
Sam Ruthe’s coach now believes the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have become a realistic proposition for the teenage phenomenon after he ran the fastest-ever mile by a New Zealander.
Craig Kirkwood watched in “disbelief” as his 16-year-old charge sent the athletics world into a frenzy when he crossed the line in 3m 48.88s while competing at the John Thomas Terrier Classic indoor meet at Boston University.
“Now he’s run that fast, it puts him right in the frame for the Commonwealth Games,” Ruthe’s coach said.
“We’ll have to revisit our decisions and decide whether we stick with the original plan or pivot and include the Comm Games.”
The time rewrote the history books, eclipsing Sir John Walker’s iconic New Zealand mile record of 3m 49.08s set in Oslo 44 years ago, while also surpassing Nick Willis’ national indoor mark of 3m 51.06s from 2016. It is the fastest mile – indoor or outdoor – ever run by an athlete under 18 and stands as the 11th-fastest indoor mile in history.
With Ruthe’s time well under Athletics New Zealand’s A and B performance standards for Commonwealth Games selection, what appeared a long shot just weeks ago has now become a genuine possibility.
The B standard for the mile is 3m 51.80s, with the A standard set at 3m 50.40s. To be considered for selection, Ruthe must achieve the A standard again before May 3, with Athletics New Zealand allocated 18 quota spots.
Final approval sits with the New Zealand Olympic Committee, with the Commonwealth Games starting on July 23 and ending on August 2.
Ruthe must achieve at least the A standard once again before May 3 to be selected among the 18 spots Athletics New Zealand has been given. Ultimately, the New Zealand Olympic Committee has the final say.
Speaking to the Herald, Kirkwood said their primary focus for 2026 had been the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon, which begin just days after the Commonwealth Games, but Ruthe’s breakthrough, however will force a rethink.
The coach said he planned to discuss the options with Ruthe’s father, Ben Ruthe, when he arrives in the United States next week.
“It would be amazing if he got the opportunity to race. The middle-distance fields at the Commonwealth Games are incredibly deep – most of those guys will be aiming for world and Olympic finals – so it’d be special to see him line up against them," Kirkwood said.
“It’s all a bit out of the box. We don’t really know which way to go yet, so we’ll sit down and talk through it sometime between now and the end of March.”
A Games appearance in Glasgow would carry added significance for Ruthe. His grandmother, Rosemary Wright, nee Stirling, won gold in the 800m at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, competing for Scotland after missing out on New Zealand selection.
His grandfather, Trevor Wright is also a renowned runner who secured a silver medal in the 1971 European Marathon Championship.
Ruthe’s record-breaking run came despite a disrupted build-up, with snowstorms halting his flight to New York. He instead travelled via San Francisco, arriving just 72 hours before the race and completing his final training sessions in a carpark building.
“I knew he was ready to run really fast, but I don’t think I quite anticipated that time,” Kirkwood said. “It’s exciting watching him race – you just know he’s going to do the right thing at the right moment, and he did it again.
“That’s crazy fast. I’m super happy with how he ran, he executed it perfectly.”
Ruthe said after the race he was “stoked” with the result, having targeted a sub-3m 55s performance heading into the race.
Kirkwood, who has coached several elite athletes, believes Ruthe’s potential is extraordinary.
“I think when he retires, he’ll go down as one of New Zealand’s best ever middle-distance runners – and he’s probably not far away from that already,” Kirkwood said.
“In terms of a ceiling, I have no idea. World records, world championships, Olympic titles – who knows?
“There’s a lot of water to go under that bridge and I don’t want to put that sort of pressure on him at 16, but he’s clearly tracking in a very positive direction.”
Ruthe’s Boston performance came just a week after he became the fastest 16-year-old ever to run the mile, clocking 3m 53.83s at the Cooks Classic in Whanganui to break the previous age-group world record held by Australian Cam Myers.
It’s part of an unforgettable past 10 months for Ruthe, which included becoming the youngest ever to run a sub four-minute mile.
He has three more mile races scheduled in the United States, including a potential showdown with Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker at a Sound Running meet in North Carolina later this month, which Kirkwood will attend.
Fellow New Zealander Sam Tanner also competed in Boston but was forced to withdraw after another runner clipped his Achilles.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.