March 28, 2025 • 7 mins
A TradeMe auction is underway for the shoes teenager Sam Ruthe wore when making history as the youngest person to ever run a 4 minute mile.
It's become the most viewed listing this year and has reached double digits ...
Sam's dad Ben Ruthe talks to Piney.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
If you might remember a week ago on the show,
we spoke to Ben Ruth, dad of Sam Ruth, who
had just become the youngest ever person to run a
subformanut Mile, and Ben at that time told us about
the trade me auction that they were getting under way
a week or so ago with Sam's historic sub formut
Mile shoes going up for auction and bidding. It would
(00:36):
be fair to say has got to a very impressive level. Now,
if you know trade me auctions, you'll know that if
there's a bid made within two minutes of the closing time,
then it auto extends by a couple of minutes. Well,
I think it's within thirty seconds anyway, it can auto extend.
But I believe that bidding has finally closed after a
bit of a flurry of late activity. Two forty was
(00:59):
the time that it was scheduled to close. It's now
approaching two forty six. Ben Ruth is with us, Have
we got a final number? Ben?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
We do?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
We do.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
We've got eleven thousand, four hundred and eight dollars, which
is just unbelievable. It just means so much, and what
an exciting flurry at the end there, and thanks to
everybody so much for your support, and I think Dragon
won it, and Dads and Shares pushed Dragon after two
forty to the limit. So just absolutely, it's just so
grateful for one hundred and fifty people that burden, all
(01:29):
the comments and all the support, fifty thousand watches and yeah,
the top listing on trade me. It's just it's just
mind boggling, just so grateful for.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
That, absolutely brilliant. Yeah, you're sent through some information and
trade me had told you that it was the most
viewed listing of twenty twenty five so far, eleven four
hundred and eight dollars. Did you have any any expectation,
any goal in mind when you when you put the
shoes on trade me been or did you just sort
of put them on and think to yourself, let's see
(01:58):
how it goes.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Do you know? What's Sam? Sam and I were talking.
He was like, oh, you know, I'm just so lucky
to have big and Sam, and then he came up
with this idea of letting go of his shoes and
putting them up. And I think, honestly for a fifteen
year old. If it'd got to a thousand dollars, that
would have been mind boggling. And I think those first
couple of birds once got to trouble for because it
(02:20):
was it's just such a lot of money and the
fact that can go to Craig and Sam and the group.
You know, Craig Kirkwood has just so many incredible athletes
kind of camp just one of the New Zealand Secrety Schools
Triathlon just two days ago, which was unbelievable. We've just
got an Findley Oliver in New Zealand twenty triathlon champs.
(02:42):
Craig's athlete as well. And a lot of these younger
athletes don't get the full access to you know, physio,
strength and conditioning programs, things like that. Back in action.
The Interville works with Craig and there's younger athletes, but
just being able to help them out with those sorts
of things, getting to events, all that sort of I mean,
this is just incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
What differences is going to make absolutely terrific. Look whoever,
so whoever drag that's obviously a trade meet buyer name,
I don't know. I mean you've probably thought about this
but those shoes in years to come, once we see
how Sam's career plays out, could be worth a heck
of a lot more than eleven and a half thousand,
So a good investment by that particular trade meet. But
(03:23):
I know you're in Melbourne at the moment, Ben, because
Sam is running tonight in a pretty stacked fifteen hundred
meter field at the Murray Plant Meat in Melbourne. It's
sold out, first time a track and field meat has
sold out in Australia since two thousand and one. Can
you tell us about the company that Sam and the
other Sam Tanner are in tonight?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, I can. I just you know, I was obviously
involved in track and field in two thousand and one.
I was running back then and there was a Sydney Olympics,
and so twenty twenty one when athletics meats were selling
out in Australia was probably peak athletic entertainment in Australia.
And the fact that now Australia has got a fully
sold out meat, we've got gout, gout that Australian he's
(04:06):
seventeen year old now running sensation that broke the Australian
turner of meter open men's record, and it's challenging about Bolt.
He's the last race at what was it? It will
be ten forty New Zealand time at ten twenty eight
the New Zealand time. Sam and Sam Tanner are racing together.
And in that field you've got the Commas Games gold
(04:28):
midist Olihare. You've got Peter Bowle who came fourth on
the Olympic Games in the eight hundred meters. You've got
Cam Myers who set the world under twenty mile record
at three forty eight, which is just unbelievable. And you've
got nine there are nine guys that have run three
point thirty four for fifteen hundred or equivalent for the mile,
and that's to put that in perspective. Those nine people
(04:50):
if will run a time that's about fifty meters ahead
half the home straight ahead of what Sam's personal beasts,
which is the world record for a fifteen year old.
So it's he's the youngest in the entire meeting and
he's just going to be hanging on for dear life
for as long as he can. So it's just going
to be hold on and go, and he's going to
roll the dice and give it a shot.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
What an experience Forum though, Well, I mean you talked
last week about and so did Nick Willis when we
spoke to him about what might lie ahead for Sam
and you talked about getting him into quality fields and
quality race as well. This is high quality stuff, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
This is literally the like in terms of the event
being sold out, that's unbelievable. But in terms of the
actual field, I haven't seen a field like this in
Australasia in a decade. And so he's jumping, jumping, you know,
he ran he's on under sixteen secondary schools in December
and now he's racing in the greatest field in a
decade in Australia. It's it's a hell of a learning
(05:47):
it's a hell of a learning curve. But what an
awesome event to be part of. And whatever whatever happens,
the learning and the knowledge you gain and the preparation
and just being learning to be comfortable in those environments,
it just it means that you can step up to
the next level later on.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Absolutely brilliant. Well please push them all the best on
behalf of everybody here at ZB and all of our listenership. Ben,
thank you for changing the time of closing for the auctions,
they could join us live to give us the final
figure made eleven four hundred and eight dollars for you know,
we're just going to go to help Craigan and Sam Tanner,
that is, you know, help others, and you've outlined that
(06:22):
philosophy as well. So thanks for joining us, mate. Well
look forward to catching up again soon and all the
best of Sam for tonight.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Legend mate, No, thank you, mate.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Ben Ruth. There in Melbourne where Sam's going to run
that stacked fifteen hundred meter field tonight? Incredible. Yeah, the
Murray Plant Meet, ten thousand capacity completely sold out and
as you had been mentioned there, Yeah, the final event
of the of the programmers, the two hundred meters featuring
this sensational teenager we've got. We've got Sam Ruth doing
(06:51):
amazing things in the fifteen hundred meters. Gout, gout this incredible.
I think he's only I think he's born in O seven,
So what do be seventeen? Eighteen years old? Seventeen years old,
he's run twenty twenty seconds oh four for two hundred meters. Incredible,
He's in the final event tonight. Now wonder they've sold
it out.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
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.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
If you might remember a week ago on the show,
we spoke to Ben Ruth, dad of Sam Ruth, who
had just become the youngest ever person to run a
subformanut Mile, and Ben at that time told us about
the trade me auction that they were getting under way
a week or so ago with Sam's historic sub formut
Mile shoes going up for auction and bidding. It would
(00:36):
be fair to say has got to a very impressive level. Now,
if you know trade me auctions, you'll know that if
there's a bid made within two minutes of the closing time,
then it auto extends by a couple of minutes. Well,
I think it's within thirty seconds anyway, it can auto extend.
But I believe that bidding has finally closed after a
bit of a flurry of late activity. Two forty was
(00:59):
the time that it was scheduled to close. It's now
approaching two forty six. Ben Ruth is with us, Have
we got a final number? Ben?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
We do?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
We do.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
We've got eleven thousand, four hundred and eight dollars, which
is just unbelievable. It just means so much, and what
an exciting flurry at the end there, and thanks to
everybody so much for your support, and I think Dragon
won it, and Dads and Shares pushed Dragon after two
forty to the limit. So just absolutely, it's just so
grateful for one hundred and fifty people that burden, all
(01:29):
the comments and all the support, fifty thousand watches and yeah,
the top listing on trade me. It's just it's just
mind boggling, just so grateful for.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
That, absolutely brilliant. Yeah, you're sent through some information and
trade me had told you that it was the most
viewed listing of twenty twenty five so far, eleven four
hundred and eight dollars. Did you have any any expectation,
any goal in mind when you when you put the
shoes on trade me been or did you just sort
of put them on and think to yourself, let's see
(01:58):
how it goes.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Do you know? What's Sam? Sam and I were talking.
He was like, oh, you know, I'm just so lucky
to have big and Sam, and then he came up
with this idea of letting go of his shoes and
putting them up. And I think, honestly for a fifteen
year old. If it'd got to a thousand dollars, that
would have been mind boggling. And I think those first
couple of birds once got to trouble for because it
(02:20):
was it's just such a lot of money and the
fact that can go to Craig and Sam and the group.
You know, Craig Kirkwood has just so many incredible athletes
kind of camp just one of the New Zealand Secrety Schools
Triathlon just two days ago, which was unbelievable. We've just
got an Findley Oliver in New Zealand twenty triathlon champs.
(02:42):
Craig's athlete as well. And a lot of these younger
athletes don't get the full access to you know, physio,
strength and conditioning programs, things like that. Back in action.
The Interville works with Craig and there's younger athletes, but
just being able to help them out with those sorts
of things, getting to events, all that sort of I mean,
this is just incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
What differences is going to make absolutely terrific. Look whoever,
so whoever drag that's obviously a trade meet buyer name,
I don't know. I mean you've probably thought about this
but those shoes in years to come, once we see
how Sam's career plays out, could be worth a heck
of a lot more than eleven and a half thousand,
So a good investment by that particular trade meet. But
(03:23):
I know you're in Melbourne at the moment, Ben, because
Sam is running tonight in a pretty stacked fifteen hundred
meter field at the Murray Plant Meat in Melbourne. It's
sold out, first time a track and field meat has
sold out in Australia since two thousand and one. Can
you tell us about the company that Sam and the
other Sam Tanner are in tonight?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, I can. I just you know, I was obviously
involved in track and field in two thousand and one.
I was running back then and there was a Sydney Olympics,
and so twenty twenty one when athletics meats were selling
out in Australia was probably peak athletic entertainment in Australia.
And the fact that now Australia has got a fully
sold out meat, we've got gout, gout that Australian he's
(04:06):
seventeen year old now running sensation that broke the Australian
turner of meter open men's record, and it's challenging about Bolt.
He's the last race at what was it? It will
be ten forty New Zealand time at ten twenty eight
the New Zealand time. Sam and Sam Tanner are racing together.
And in that field you've got the Commas Games gold
(04:28):
midist Olihare. You've got Peter Bowle who came fourth on
the Olympic Games in the eight hundred meters. You've got
Cam Myers who set the world under twenty mile record
at three forty eight, which is just unbelievable. And you've
got nine there are nine guys that have run three
point thirty four for fifteen hundred or equivalent for the mile,
and that's to put that in perspective. Those nine people
(04:50):
if will run a time that's about fifty meters ahead
half the home straight ahead of what Sam's personal beasts,
which is the world record for a fifteen year old.
So it's he's the youngest in the entire meeting and
he's just going to be hanging on for dear life
for as long as he can. So it's just going
to be hold on and go, and he's going to
roll the dice and give it a shot.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
What an experience Forum though, Well, I mean you talked
last week about and so did Nick Willis when we
spoke to him about what might lie ahead for Sam
and you talked about getting him into quality fields and
quality race as well. This is high quality stuff, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
This is literally the like in terms of the event
being sold out, that's unbelievable. But in terms of the
actual field, I haven't seen a field like this in
Australasia in a decade. And so he's jumping, jumping, you know,
he ran he's on under sixteen secondary schools in December
and now he's racing in the greatest field in a
decade in Australia. It's it's a hell of a learning
(05:47):
it's a hell of a learning curve. But what an
awesome event to be part of. And whatever whatever happens,
the learning and the knowledge you gain and the preparation
and just being learning to be comfortable in those environments,
it just it means that you can step up to
the next level later on.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Absolutely brilliant. Well please push them all the best on
behalf of everybody here at ZB and all of our listenership. Ben,
thank you for changing the time of closing for the auctions,
they could join us live to give us the final
figure made eleven four hundred and eight dollars for you know,
we're just going to go to help Craigan and Sam Tanner,
that is, you know, help others, and you've outlined that
(06:22):
philosophy as well. So thanks for joining us, mate. Well
look forward to catching up again soon and all the
best of Sam for tonight.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Legend mate, No, thank you, mate.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Ben Ruth. There in Melbourne where Sam's going to run
that stacked fifteen hundred meter field tonight? Incredible. Yeah, the
Murray Plant Meet, ten thousand capacity completely sold out and
as you had been mentioned there, Yeah, the final event
of the of the programmers, the two hundred meters featuring
this sensational teenager we've got. We've got Sam Ruth doing
(06:51):
amazing things in the fifteen hundred meters. Gout, gout this incredible.
I think he's only I think he's born in O seven,
So what do be seventeen? Eighteen years old? Seventeen years old,
he's run twenty twenty seconds oh four for two hundred meters. Incredible,
He's in the final event tonight. Now wonder they've sold
it out.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
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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