Sam Ruth. 30 questions with the under 18 mile and 1500m world record holder.

Meet U18 world record holder Sam Root in the Mile and 1500m.

Sam Ruth working for only three years!

at sixteen Sam Ruth captured the minds of the running world on January 31, 2026 when he was nominated 3:48.88 for the mile, winning the race that BU John Thomas Terrier Classic!

Sixteen years, 294 days, Sam Ruth became the youngest person ever to run a mile under 3:50. Sam broke too World under-18 record that New Zealand indoor record (breaking NR indoor set by Nick Willis of 3:51.06), and the: NZ Mile overall record, breaking the forty-three-year-old NZ mile overall record of 3:49.08 held by Sir John Walker, first man under 3:50 (1975), dating from 1982.

Sam didn’t just define Under 18 world record: 3:49.88 milesbut also Under-18 world record 1500m in an average time of 3:33.25.

Sam Ruth has become a global phenomenon. This morning, Madrid time, I sent 30 questions to: NIKE Sports Marketing Team, hoping against hope we might get some answers. within six hours, Ben RuthSam’s father sent the questions back, they all answered. Special thanks Sam Ruthhis father, Ben and the team NIKE Sports MarketingPatronus of Sam Root.

1. What do you remember about your first race? My first proper race was the North Island 14 800m Under Champions. I just remember going out fast and Vaughan Murray, who is now one of my good friends and training partners, flying past me in the last 150 meters. I remember feeling like I caught a cooler in that race and couldn’t do anything when he flew home.
2. How old were you when you started running? I didn’t start training until early 2023, so 3 years ago, not long before I turned 14.
3. Did your family run? I never really knew they actually ran. Mum and Dad used to get out of the house to run, but I didn’t know they were national champions or that my Nan won the Commonwealth Games and my Pop won European silver in the marathon until I was maybe 11.
4. What was the first mile race you ran? My first mile race was in Auckland in November 2024. It was John Walker Mile and I was 15 at the time.
5. How long were you in that race? I ran 4:10 that day.
6. Who is your coach? Craig Kirkwood. He has always been great friends with my parents and coached my training partner, 2 x 1500m Olympian Sam Tanner. He also coached Hayden Wilde to 2 Olympic triathlon medals. He has trained all of us since we were teenagers.
7. Do you train in a group? I see you train with Sam Tanner. Yes, we have a great group. There are about 30 of us. There are many others who come and join us. We had a couple come over to NZ to train with us from the NCAA while they were on Christmas break too which was great.
8. Was there a race that told you you could do well? The first time I thought I could be pretty good was when I ran 8:09 for the 3000m when I was 15. I felt good and had a good first lap and a few months later I won the NZ Open men’s champs in 7:56.
9. How is running organized in New Zealand? Schools? Clubs? Everyone basically runs for their school. There are national school track champions and cross country champions. We have a fairly small population, so everyone knows everyone. We made some calls to get the officials and volunteers to qualify for the sub 4 and we’re so lucky to have so many good people come in and help make it happen.
10. What was the reception like when you first broke 4 minutes? It was much bigger than I expected. I realize now how lucky I am to have been able to do this. The bad weather came at the right time and Sam Tanner walked me perfectly. It wouldn’t have happened without all the people who volunteered to help.
    Sam Tanner with junior phenom Sam Root, photo courtesy of Athletics New Zealand
11. Have you met Sir John Walker? What was that like? I haven’t met Sir John Walker, but he gave me a message that was really encouraging. I’m really just now discovering how great he was and learning about our country’s history in the mile and 1,500. Sir John Walker was incredible to be the first in the world to break 3:50.
12. What was Rod Dixon’s meeting like? Rod is such a nice person. He is so enthusiastic about helping the sport and had lots of advice on training and racing. He’s had a long career and really focuses on one step at a time, which resonates with me.
13. What is your favorite distance to race? My favorite distance is 1500m, the back straight gives you time to settle. It’s a little faster than the mile, but without the chaos at the first turn.
14. In the New Zealand season, you run cross-country. We compete in Cross Country and I really enjoy it. But it’s a real challenge because it’s when it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Last year I ran cross country off some tracks, then flew to Prefontaine and ran a mile of winter work that kicks off the tough season. I plan to spend more time preparing for Northern Hemisphere summers in the future, but for now I’m trying to balance it with school at the same time as the most important part of the year.
15. What was racing like at Boston University? In: can see why it is fast. The laps fly and the track feels so good. It could also have something to do with there being so much snow outside and it just feels so good to run fast in the heat. We have nothing in New Zealand as our nearest closed track is 9000km away.
16. Were you surprised by 3:48? I knew Sam Tanner had run a 3:49 and he was in 3:48 type of shape and Sam and I were really close in all our sessions. He ran his fastest NZ mile ever the week before so he knew he was in good shape and I thought I could run then if things went really well. I wasn’t really sure how the trip went, so I was lucky that everything went according to plan.

    

17. What should fans know about you that they don’t? I quite enjoy a good donut, my favorite in North Carolina is Krispy Kremes.
18. What’s your go-to NIKE training shoe for tough days? For easy days. Because of all the snow I had to run on the roads a lot more than I would have liked, but luckily I brought my Vomero Plus which are perfect for the roads and slow days. My favorite trailer sessions are this Nike Dragonfly Elite 2, they’re just really responsive, and there’s a real floating sensation when you hit a good pace in them.
19. Do you have a favorite band or artist that you listen to? Burna Boy
20. Do you have a plan on Netflix that you use while traveling? I really like watching True Crime Series: which I’m going through a bit at the moment.
21. Will you be competing at the World Juniors? Y:es, we have decided that on the way back from Europe in August we will go on the Eugine and race youth of the world. I hope I am selected Cooperation games in Scotland and there’s only a few days between the final, if I’m lucky enough to make it, and the U20 World Championships, so it’s a tough turnaround, but it would be an honor to compete in such a big world event. I have one more move in 2 years while still qualifying as Under 20 so it will be good experience in the race.
22. You think about the closed spaces of the world. No, it’s too much time off from school to go to Poland and I’ll be taking a few weeks off before I get back to work on my base, which is the plan Craig has put together for me.
23. Do you have an athlete you admire? I can’t move on from the past Sam Tanner indeed. He is so positive, he really enjoys all the training and has been so good at helping me from the start. He’s also a great guy to travel with and train with. He has all the tips.
24. If you weren’t a middle distance runner, what field event would you do? I would be a shooter, but I think I need to put on a few pounds first.
25. Are you highly competitive? In: I don’t know if you call it that, I get on well with the guys I’m racing against, but I struggle to win when I line up. I think you can respect your competition, but I think to have a good race you have to believe you can beat the other guys you share that starting line with.
26. What’s your workout like? I train like most 16 year olds would. I do about 55 miles or 90km on my biggest week and average about 75km or 45 miles a week. In the summer I do a few track sessions a week. We almost never go 100% into training. I do a lot less volume than Sam Tanner who does about 40km or 25 miles more than me every week. I still don’t do weights, but I do some core and conditioning work.
27. Is there a session you do that you absolutely do not like, but it gives you a good idea about fitness?No, I really enjoy all the sessions.
28. Do you get nervous before races? I get a bit nervous before races, which is like being nervous, but I think it’s positive. I think some nervous excitement is good, but I know I’ll give it my all so there’s nothing to lose.
29. Which NIKE jacket do you prefer for racing? I ran my 3:48″ Victory 2 but I usually only use them for shorter races of 800m or 1000m, but it worked pretty well for the mile. I definitely prefer it Dragonfly Elite 2 for a longer race like the 3000m I do at BU on the 22nd^th.
30. Is there a quote or song lyric that rings in your head? When I run, I feel like my mind actually goes blank. It’s like my body is making the decisions. I realize that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s the feeling I get and often think and I don’t remember ever thinking about anything, especially the lyrics.
31. Here’s a video, courtesy of our friends at FloTrack, of Sam Root’s wonderful under-18 world best 1500m and mile.

Taking you on two magical spins at BU 🪄🤯

You just witnessed history as Sam Root, just 16 years old, runs a 3:48.88 mile at the BU Terrier Classic.#BUTerrierClassic and: #CollegeTF

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) January 31, 2026