Last week, New Zealand’s Sam Ruthe made history by becoming the youngest runner to record a sub-four-minute mile at 15 years, 11 months and six days. Now, the teenager is auctioning off the shoes he wore during his record-breaking run to raise funds for his coach and teammates.
Ruthe has listed his size 10.5 Nike Dragonfly 2 Elite spikes on Trade Me, New Zealand’s largest online marketplace. His team posted the spikes on March 21, and the listing has already attracted 130 bids, totalling more than C$4,500.
Ruthe’s remarkable time of 3:58.35 reverberated through the world of track and field, as he shaved three seconds off the previous world best for a U16 athlete. He was also 274 days younger than Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who had held the title of youngest runner to achieve the feat, running 3:58.07 in 2017.
The teenager didn’t just break one record; he also demolished New Zealand’s national U19 and U20 mile marks, which were previously held by his pacer, New Zealand Olympian Sam Tanner.
The auction description reads: “One young owner and less than four minutes of use. Some water exposure but dry now. Hopefully, they’re good for another decade or so. Verified as being raced in for only 3:58.35s, and still have the stickers in the heels. Can vouch for the faint whiff of achievement! Donated by Sam Ruthe with proceeds to coach Craig Kirkwood, Sam Tanner, and their youth development group.”
For serious track and field collectors, the auction closes on Saturday, March 29. If you’re interested in this exclusive piece of history, you can find the shoes, here. And who knows—with their one-for-one success rate, these shoes might just help you run a sub-four-minute mile too.
