Sam Ruthe. The latest prodigy to grace the middle distance arena and put his stamp on it. His recent 3:48:8 mile followed a succession of elite performances achieved in inclement NZ weather. Jakob laid out the blueprint, others have followed the formula. Prior to Ruthe, Niels Laros and Cam Myers stepped up to the global elite.
Ruthe’s mile converts to a 3:31.8. To predict what he will run as a 17/18 year old let’s compare his 1500 progress (despite it being the thief of joy) to his peers;
Jakob;
15; 3.42.4 / 16; 3.39.9 / 17; 3.31.1 / 18; 3.30.6
Laros
15; 4.00.3 / 16; 3.44.8 / 17; 3.39.4 / 18; 3.31.2
Myers
15; 3.54.3 / 16; 3.46.4 / 17; 3.33.3 / 3.33.8
Ruthe
15; 3.49.3 / 16; 3.31.8
Whilst undoubtedly being ridiculously fast at 14, the group all made a significant jump to the “elite”, albeit at slightly different age points.
I think Ruthe will run very close to sub 3.30 during in the summer aged 17. His natural 800m speed is a bonus, if he stays healthy can see him being a real threat at LA 2028