December 6, 2025 • 9 mins
Sam Ruthe's father, Ben Ruthe chats to Piney about the young running star's record-smashing performances in middle distances.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB two.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
More records for Kwei teenage running star Sam Ruth. Yesterday,
he clocked three minutes thirty eight point six two seconds
in the heats of the boys fifteen hundred meters at
the National Secondary School Track and Field Champs and Hastings
to break a thirty six year old record in the event.
In fact, he obliterated the mark set by Richard Potts
in nineteen eighty nine by more than eight seconds. That
(00:35):
was yesterday. Earlier today, he also broke the national eight
hundred meter record, clocking one forty six point eighty one
to beat the previous mark set by Ben Mathis in
twenty eleven by three point six seconds. In March, at
the age of fifteen, Sam Ruth became the youngest person
ever to run a sub four minute mile. In the
last hour or so, he has run and comfortably won
(00:58):
the final of the fifteen hundred meters Dad Ben Ruth,
himself an elite middle distance runner, is with us now
Ben how Big a target worthy fifteen hundred and eight
hundred meters records for Sam This weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I had been thinking about them. I guess for a
little bit since heron's a fourth mile to talk about
him having a crack at Richard's record. And Richards just
an incredible guy. He comes from his His mother actually
ran at the Comonwealth Games in the final in nineteen
seventy with Sam's grandmother. Rosemary won that final in a
very tight finish and Sylvia Pops came fifth in that final.
(01:36):
So there's a little bit bit of family history there,
I guess. And Richard who's given his life and time
to the sport, making it grow here it's his home
track in Hastings and he was standing holding the watch
calling the splits each lap, knowing that it was ticking down.
So just an incredible guy and just an incredible thought
(01:56):
of the ethnic communities like his parents were too. So
that was a special moment.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Oh, I bet it was. What a great little layer
to it. But as I say, it wasn't just a
matter of half a second or a second eight seconds
off the mark set by Richard pottsback in nineteen eighty nine.
Did you believe that that Sam had that time in him?
Speaker 1 (02:16):
No?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
I had that Richard Pox time. I ran national secondary
schools in middles in the fifteen hundred and nineteen ninety seven,
and at the time that record was eight years old,
and we thought that the clocks must have been broken
in the nineteen eighties. Minus could have ran that time
because it was so outrageous and nobody's got under three
to fifty. I don't think it got within three seconds
(02:39):
of it in thirty six years so and certainly not solo.
So he decided he'd do it in the heats, which
would take all the pressure off the final. And then
also today he's got the eight hundred final, the fifteen
hundred final and he's still got four four hundred meters ago,
so doing it doing it yesterday I meant that he's
gonna be a bit fresher for his team in the
four by four this afternoon. So no, I didn't think
he was going to run that. He was actually only
(02:59):
he got the New Zealand he's got ten is under
twenty New Zealand's fifteen hundred meter record at the same time,
and Hem missed out in the world's fastest time for
a sixteen year old five point six of a second
by cam Myers and that was so he's going to
have a crack at that obviously better in the season
when he've actually a race of pacemakers and in the
evening with better conditions, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
How do his times that he's running at the moment compare,
if you know, with what our great middle distance runners
Peter Snow, John Walker, Rod Dix and Nick Willis, we're
running at a similar age, you see, faster than they were.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, yeah, he's faster than they were at the same age, definitely.
But to give you some comparison, it is Ain't had
a meter time today of one minute forty six. Sam
Tanner's fastest than his life is one minute forty six.
Nick rillis as fast and his life was. Just before
the two thousand and four Olympics he ran one forty five.
John Walker was the one forty five runner in his career,
(03:57):
So running one fifth forty six as a school kitters
not very common. And I think it's twelve all time
from New Zealand the time that here today and I
think that's fifteen hundred. Yeah, I'm not sure actually where
that ranks, but yeah, maybe inside the top top twenty
old times.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
When you're watching him, can you watch purely as a
proud dad, or are you constantly analyzing how he's running.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I don't coach him at all, so we have quite
a clear Craig Kirk quit as coach. And Craig develops
Hayden to Hadden wild to Olympic medals obviously, and he
developed Sam Tanner to be one of the best athletes
on the planet. So Craig does all of the coaching.
I'm great mates, Craig, but I don't feel like I'm
watching him as a dad. I'm watching him as a fan, really,
(04:46):
and I just I just enjoy it. I just enjoyed
that he's bold. And the same with my daughter running today,
she just had a crack and yeah, it's just I
just enjoyed watching her and going along for the ride. Really.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, your daughter, Daisy, he's Sam's sister, has also won today.
She won the under sixteen fifteen hundred meters design on
the standards a year nine, so you're another one in
the family.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So Sam when he was a year nine, came second.
So Daisy was pretty.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Cooked to something again awesome, awesome.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Something and running that Sam hadn't done. And in a
crawl twist of fate, I made the National Fingery school's
final as an under sixteen and year nine, and I
was stoked with my time around a PB of four
thirty two and Daisy today around four thirty one. Their
records held by Tony Hodkinson out of four twenty nine.
(05:33):
Tony obviously run the Olympic final I think ninety ninety
six in Atlanta. Davey's got another year in the grade.
But yeah, he's doing really well. And she was bold
and had a crack from a long way out. I
was just pleasing to see them challenge themselves and be bold.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Really, Sam's feet's on the track are turning heads everywhere.
As I'm sure you've worked out, have you had to
keep his feet on the ground in any respect?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
He's Sam's just I don't know. I don't know why,
but maybe it's a combination of I've jested myself. So
Jess is really good at all the things that I'm
not got at. I used to I relished the sport,
love the sport, and I always used to get carried
away and train too hard for as. She's really disciplined, focused,
follows the rules, make sure all the all the things
(06:21):
in the right place, and she puts all the r
energies into the right areas and somehow the kids has
sort of got the both of us and Fams just
he doesn't get carried away at all. It's just he
just enjoys it and disciplined and doesn't you wouldn't know
really that he broke the national records. He's just just
loves the sports and loves hanging out with his mates
(06:41):
and they're all happy. And I think having Aboard with
College of won seven gold medals here on the track
out of I don't know how many, but they've all
done really really well. It's just a great culture and
environment and a group of group of boys that coming
boys College and Craig Kirkford has got going.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
So what is the plan? Then over summer here and
then into twenty twenty six for Sam it's got.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Quite a lot coming up, so too many times going
to five to Northland where there's an outside shot that
he's got a chance at Jack Finger Britain's five thousand
meter world record for sixteen year old to thirteen thirty five.
He's never run a five thousand meter race, but his
strength seems to be quite quite good at the moment.
I think there's only three three current New Zealand ethicts
(07:25):
that have run a certain thirty five and one forty six,
and that's Sam Tanner, Nicholas and John Walker. So if
he could pull that off in two week space, that
it'll be that would be pretty called. Then he's got
crack at the one k national age. Great record in
January in Targo. Then, so we popped back here in
Hastings on the tenth, sorry, the seventeenth January. We're going
to be mile where the world records of the age
is three fifty five and Snow broke the world record
(07:47):
running a three fifty five and ten and one last
year and three fifty five, So it's going to be
it's gonna be a big, big crack. And we go
to the US for four weeks for indoor racing in
Boston and North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Wonderful stuff, all all mapped out, mate, while I've got
your text has come through Piney good to hear the
progress young Sam Ruth is making. But the menchin of
his dad's name gives me PTSD. I was a rugby
playing runner fast enough to compete regionally at high school
in the fifteen hundred, but Ben was the king as
far as Wellington was concerned obliterated the field in ninety seven.
Awesome to get second place to the Wellington College road
(08:18):
running team back then, knowing how fast Ben was. That's
from a nine nine old boy who is now in
recovery that Tex says, so you're well remembered for your
feats back in the capital as.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Well, mate, Yeah, what do you say about that? It's
all just enjoyable, isn't it. Life challenging yourself and challenging others,
and hopefully you push yourself and they push you and
I hope you get a bit of fat. So it's
just I love the sport for a long time and
it's just a pleasure to be able to watch it
from the sidelines now.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Great stuff, Ben, thanks for chatting to us. Made always
a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Brilliant thanks, funny thanks mate.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
That is Ben ruth yea an elite runner in his day,
a terrific runner in his day. You know, Nick willis
kind of areas when he was in and around the
Wellington region at the same time. But yes, Sam and
now Daisy by the sounds of it as well. Another
one to keep an eye on. Great jeans in that family.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB two.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
More records for Kwei teenage running star Sam Ruth. Yesterday,
he clocked three minutes thirty eight point six two seconds
in the heats of the boys fifteen hundred meters at
the National Secondary School Track and Field Champs and Hastings
to break a thirty six year old record in the event.
In fact, he obliterated the mark set by Richard Potts
in nineteen eighty nine by more than eight seconds. That
(00:35):
was yesterday. Earlier today, he also broke the national eight
hundred meter record, clocking one forty six point eighty one
to beat the previous mark set by Ben Mathis in
twenty eleven by three point six seconds. In March, at
the age of fifteen, Sam Ruth became the youngest person
ever to run a sub four minute mile. In the
last hour or so, he has run and comfortably won
(00:58):
the final of the fifteen hundred meters Dad Ben Ruth,
himself an elite middle distance runner, is with us now
Ben how Big a target worthy fifteen hundred and eight
hundred meters records for Sam This weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I had been thinking about them. I guess for a
little bit since heron's a fourth mile to talk about
him having a crack at Richard's record. And Richards just
an incredible guy. He comes from his His mother actually
ran at the Comonwealth Games in the final in nineteen
seventy with Sam's grandmother. Rosemary won that final in a
very tight finish and Sylvia Pops came fifth in that final.
(01:36):
So there's a little bit bit of family history there,
I guess. And Richard who's given his life and time
to the sport, making it grow here it's his home
track in Hastings and he was standing holding the watch
calling the splits each lap, knowing that it was ticking down.
So just an incredible guy and just an incredible thought
(01:56):
of the ethnic communities like his parents were too. So
that was a special moment.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Oh, I bet it was. What a great little layer
to it. But as I say, it wasn't just a
matter of half a second or a second eight seconds
off the mark set by Richard pottsback in nineteen eighty nine.
Did you believe that that Sam had that time in him?
Speaker 1 (02:16):
No?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
I had that Richard Pox time. I ran national secondary
schools in middles in the fifteen hundred and nineteen ninety seven,
and at the time that record was eight years old,
and we thought that the clocks must have been broken
in the nineteen eighties. Minus could have ran that time
because it was so outrageous and nobody's got under three
to fifty. I don't think it got within three seconds
(02:39):
of it in thirty six years so and certainly not solo.
So he decided he'd do it in the heats, which
would take all the pressure off the final. And then
also today he's got the eight hundred final, the fifteen
hundred final and he's still got four four hundred meters ago,
so doing it doing it yesterday I meant that he's
gonna be a bit fresher for his team in the
four by four this afternoon. So no, I didn't think
he was going to run that. He was actually only
(02:59):
he got the New Zealand he's got ten is under
twenty New Zealand's fifteen hundred meter record at the same time,
and Hem missed out in the world's fastest time for
a sixteen year old five point six of a second
by cam Myers and that was so he's going to
have a crack at that obviously better in the season
when he've actually a race of pacemakers and in the
evening with better conditions, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
How do his times that he's running at the moment compare,
if you know, with what our great middle distance runners
Peter Snow, John Walker, Rod Dix and Nick Willis, we're
running at a similar age, you see, faster than they were.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, yeah, he's faster than they were at the same age, definitely.
But to give you some comparison, it is Ain't had
a meter time today of one minute forty six. Sam
Tanner's fastest than his life is one minute forty six.
Nick rillis as fast and his life was. Just before
the two thousand and four Olympics he ran one forty five.
John Walker was the one forty five runner in his career,
(03:57):
So running one fifth forty six as a school kitters
not very common. And I think it's twelve all time
from New Zealand the time that here today and I
think that's fifteen hundred. Yeah, I'm not sure actually where
that ranks, but yeah, maybe inside the top top twenty
old times.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
When you're watching him, can you watch purely as a
proud dad, or are you constantly analyzing how he's running.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I don't coach him at all, so we have quite
a clear Craig Kirk quit as coach. And Craig develops
Hayden to Hadden wild to Olympic medals obviously, and he
developed Sam Tanner to be one of the best athletes
on the planet. So Craig does all of the coaching.
I'm great mates, Craig, but I don't feel like I'm
watching him as a dad. I'm watching him as a fan, really,
(04:46):
and I just I just enjoy it. I just enjoyed
that he's bold. And the same with my daughter running today,
she just had a crack and yeah, it's just I
just enjoyed watching her and going along for the ride. Really.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, your daughter, Daisy, he's Sam's sister, has also won today.
She won the under sixteen fifteen hundred meters design on
the standards a year nine, so you're another one in
the family.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So Sam when he was a year nine, came second.
So Daisy was pretty.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Cooked to something again awesome, awesome.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Something and running that Sam hadn't done. And in a
crawl twist of fate, I made the National Fingery school's
final as an under sixteen and year nine, and I
was stoked with my time around a PB of four
thirty two and Daisy today around four thirty one. Their
records held by Tony Hodkinson out of four twenty nine.
(05:33):
Tony obviously run the Olympic final I think ninety ninety
six in Atlanta. Davey's got another year in the grade.
But yeah, he's doing really well. And she was bold
and had a crack from a long way out. I
was just pleasing to see them challenge themselves and be bold.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Really, Sam's feet's on the track are turning heads everywhere.
As I'm sure you've worked out, have you had to
keep his feet on the ground in any respect?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
He's Sam's just I don't know. I don't know why,
but maybe it's a combination of I've jested myself. So
Jess is really good at all the things that I'm
not got at. I used to I relished the sport,
love the sport, and I always used to get carried
away and train too hard for as. She's really disciplined, focused,
follows the rules, make sure all the all the things
(06:21):
in the right place, and she puts all the r
energies into the right areas and somehow the kids has
sort of got the both of us and Fams just
he doesn't get carried away at all. It's just he
just enjoys it and disciplined and doesn't you wouldn't know
really that he broke the national records. He's just just
loves the sports and loves hanging out with his mates
(06:41):
and they're all happy. And I think having Aboard with
College of won seven gold medals here on the track
out of I don't know how many, but they've all
done really really well. It's just a great culture and
environment and a group of group of boys that coming
boys College and Craig Kirkford has got going.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
So what is the plan? Then over summer here and
then into twenty twenty six for Sam it's got.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Quite a lot coming up, so too many times going
to five to Northland where there's an outside shot that
he's got a chance at Jack Finger Britain's five thousand
meter world record for sixteen year old to thirteen thirty five.
He's never run a five thousand meter race, but his
strength seems to be quite quite good at the moment.
I think there's only three three current New Zealand ethicts
(07:25):
that have run a certain thirty five and one forty six,
and that's Sam Tanner, Nicholas and John Walker. So if
he could pull that off in two week space, that
it'll be that would be pretty called. Then he's got
crack at the one k national age. Great record in
January in Targo. Then, so we popped back here in
Hastings on the tenth, sorry, the seventeenth January. We're going
to be mile where the world records of the age
is three fifty five and Snow broke the world record
(07:47):
running a three fifty five and ten and one last
year and three fifty five, So it's going to be
it's gonna be a big, big crack. And we go
to the US for four weeks for indoor racing in
Boston and North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Wonderful stuff, all all mapped out, mate, while I've got
your text has come through Piney good to hear the
progress young Sam Ruth is making. But the menchin of
his dad's name gives me PTSD. I was a rugby
playing runner fast enough to compete regionally at high school
in the fifteen hundred, but Ben was the king as
far as Wellington was concerned obliterated the field in ninety seven.
Awesome to get second place to the Wellington College road
(08:18):
running team back then, knowing how fast Ben was. That's
from a nine nine old boy who is now in
recovery that Tex says, so you're well remembered for your
feats back in the capital as.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Well, mate, Yeah, what do you say about that? It's
all just enjoyable, isn't it. Life challenging yourself and challenging others,
and hopefully you push yourself and they push you and
I hope you get a bit of fat. So it's
just I love the sport for a long time and
it's just a pleasure to be able to watch it
from the sidelines now.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Great stuff, Ben, thanks for chatting to us. Made always
a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Brilliant thanks, funny thanks mate.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
That is Ben ruth yea an elite runner in his day,
a terrific runner in his day. You know, Nick willis
kind of areas when he was in and around the
Wellington region at the same time. But yes, Sam and
now Daisy by the sounds of it as well. Another
one to keep an eye on. Great jeans in that family.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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