ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

The seeds of world record-holder Sam Ruthe’s success may have exploded into full bloom recently, but they were sown nearly eight decades ago. Jamie Troughton retraces the remarkable story of a family of runners, which could be culminating in the current generation.

WORDS + PHOTOS JAMIE TROUGHTON + SUPPLIED MAKE-UP DESIRÉE OSTERMAN

If you learn nothing else about Sam Ruthe, just know he’s the type of 17-year-old boy who treasures time with his grandparents.

His ‘Poppa’ and ‘Nan’ are Trevor and Rosemary Wright, who moved to Tauranga 44 years ago. They left behind a life in England, as well as extraordinary athletic careers in their own right.

Sam often pops in during study breaks to see his grandparents at their house in Tauranga’s Avenues, or on his way home from Tauranga Boys’ College, where – almost incongruously – he’s a Year 12 student.

These days, into their late 70s, Trevor and Rosemary are still active. And recently, on a warm autumn day for the umpteenth time in their lives, they were perched on a park bench at Welcome Bay’s Waipuna Park watching cross country. On show was Sam’s younger sister Daisy, and she was putting on an absolute clinic. Not only did she demolish her age group to win the Western Bay under-16 girls title but she cleared home ahead of the entire field of boys, who started at the same time.

“I get more nervous watching the kids and grandkids run than when I used to run myself,” says Trevor. “When I was running, it was down to me and I knew what I was doing, but you can’t control how the kids run their race and you don’t want them to be disappointed.”

Disappointment, however, seems a rare commodity in this family these days. In 1971, Trevor set the world record for the fastest debut marathon, and collected podium medals at the European championships, the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon. His best marathon time would have been enough to finish in the top 40 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the former electrician relished the chance to move to New Zealand in 1982, with Rosemary, four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Jess. Now, the girls have five kids of their own and the Wrights are frequently on the sidelines, offering gentle encouragement but a distinct absence of advice. Their once-powerful flame of ambition, which carried them both to achieve worldwide athletic feats, is now just a gentle warm joy for the next generation.

“They really don't talk about their running that much,” says Sam. “Nan's theory is that you don't really need to do too much to be good at running, and she views it as a simple thing you can get good at by doing quality over quantity. She tells me stories about how she used to hide around the corner and eat chocolate while others trained. It might not be a great tip, but it definitely makes running a lot more casual, having that perspective.”

It turns out that Rosemary grew up in Whakatāne – where she spent the first 14 years of her life – next door to the grandmother of one of Sam’s good mates and training partners, Ronin Dickens. That piece of trivia has absolutely no bearing on anything, other than to provide a comforting reminder that, in this country, we live in merely a large village.

Sam’s village is tight and trustworthy and nourishing; his family is his foundation. He may or may not become the greatest runner New Zealand has ever produced, but he will always know where his feet stand, and who has put him on his journey.

“That’s the really cool thing about having a family full of runners – everyone’s been there and done that, and things like records don’t interest them as much,” says Sam. “They understand everything that’s going on, they don’t see you as ‘a runner’, and it helps build your own identity within your family.”

Fifty-six years later, Rosemary can still hear the pulsing roar of 5000 Edinburgh throats, opening as one. Meadowbank Stadium, newly opened for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, shook on its foundations as the women’s 800m field leaned into the final curve.

Time has blurred out most other details for the long time Tauranga teacher, clad that day in the white and St Andrews blue of her adopted Scotland. Intriguingly, she was also something of a prodigy. Then Rosemary Stirling and still just 22, she was at her second Commonwealth Games after a promising debut in Jamaica four years earlier, where she’d picked up a pair of fourths in the 400m and 800m.

Just eight years after moving back to the UK with her British-born parents, and having overcome injury in the lead-up, she was still only rated an outside chance in the 800m on the final day of the Games.

“I remember [England's] Sheila Carey falling over on the first lap and thinking, ‘That’s good’ because she was the favourite to win,” the now 78-year-old recalls of that 1970 final. “And I can just remember crowds. There were huge crowds shouting and bawling and just screaming. It definitely lifted me.”

After two compelling laps, it all came down to the final few desperate strides, when the Kiwi-born Scot lunged at the line to beat England’s Pat Lowe and Australia's Cheryl Peasley. It was the closest finish of the Games, and Scotland’s first-ever female track gold medal at Commonwealth level. It’s given Rosemary an enduring legacy in Scotland. She made the Olympic final in Munich two years later, and her 800m national record stood in Scotland until 2002. She was invited back to help open the 1986 Games and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2014.

These days, Rosemary downplays her own athletic feats to the point of irrelevance. “It’s only running,” she says. Though dismissive, there’s a glimmer of steel in her tone, well known to the thousands of Tauranga Girls’ College students she’s taught over the years. And there’s also a deeper philosophy embedded in that short truth, one that has become something of a family mantra.

It’s only running. You can see that, later that same autumn day, when Sam starts rekindling his deep, abiding love affair with the sport. On Tauranga Domain’s busy synthetic track, he’s taking the first, slightly tentative steps from a fast walk to a light jog, six weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his fibula during a casual game of backyard football. At 17, it was his first major injury, which has since ruled him out of emulating his grandmother’s Commonwealth Games heroics – this year, at least.

Around him, his village takes note and quietly celebrates. Coach Craig Kirkwood sends his burgeoning training squad on their way, pacing out meticulous laps, alongside Tauranga Boys’ College’s gun running posse, coached by Sam’s uncle, Gareth Hyett. All of them have had front-row seats in the past two years, as a young man in their midst – their buddy, protégé, training mate and schoolmate – burst onto the world stage in the most extraordinary manner.

Sam’s most recent piece of history came at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University in late January. The mile race featured three Olympians, a world champion, a junior world champion, a US champion and a two-time US college champion – and yet, striding past Belgian Olympian Pieter Sisk in the final 200m, came a 16-year-old from Tauranga, jaw clenched in the final straight, clocking a scarcely believable 3:48.88.

Trevor and Rosemary Wright – aka Poppa and Nan – with Sam and Daisy.

Since New Zealand’s John Walker first broke the three minute 50 second barrier in 1975, only 63 men worldwide have managed it. None were under the age of 18.

As well as breaking the under-18 world mile record – and this is one for the stats lovers – it was also the fastest mile run during the month of January. Ever. But the greatest race of Sam Ruthe’s career – so far – was a curious moment for the Tauranga schoolboy.

“I didn’t really get any sense of satisfaction. Once I finished that race, I thought, ‘I definitely have more to give’. I was just off the plane and know I can definitely go a lot faster than that. At the time, I also didn't really realise how perfect the race went, how even the splits were, the atmosphere at the track and all the factors that played into it.

“But running’s a sport where you’re never satisfied and I don’t even really have goals, so it wasn’t as if it was even a goal for me to run the New Zealand record or the under-18 world record. I guess I was happy about it, but I wasn't satisfied.”

After all, it’s only running. That Boston race was bittersweet for the other Kiwi in the field, who just happens to be another Tauranga prodigy, until recently also coached by Craig, two-time Olympian Sam Tanner. Of course, the 25-year-old has known for a while that his young training partner is something a little bit special. They notably shared the New Zealand 1500m title last year in an enthralling dead heat, and Tanner paced Ruthe on the way to his historic sub-four-minute mile as a 15-year-old weeks later. Things were actually shaping up perfectly for Tanner in Boston, until disaster struck 400m in, with his young training partner tucked in behind.

“I told Sammy before the race, ‘Just turn your brain off and follow me, bro – you’ll be sweet’, and he turned his brain off and followed me. We got in a perfect position, and then the dude who chopped between us clipped my Achilles and I had to pull out. Sam ended up behind him, but then he just went around because that guy was falling off, and then he just followed Peter Sisk, which was perfect.”

Injured, Tanner watched the rest of the race unfold from the sideline, with mixed emotions. “It's not very often that you get a perfect set-up like that for a 3:48 mile. I’ve been waiting five years and I thought it was my chance; often the races that I’ve been part of have had a 3:45 pace or a 3:46 pace and I’m not quite there. You end up blowing up and run 3:50, or 3:49, like I’ve done a couple of times.”

Tanner’s also wise enough to know that a great running career is a thing to build brick by brick, and he piles credits onto Craig for his craftsmanship in that realm.

“Kirky’s just so good at seeing where an athlete’s at, making the best decision and trying to guide them, rather than just thrashing them. He lets the talent speak for itself and just cultivates that. And for Sammy, it just means that a little bit of work goes a really, really long way.

“Sammy and I just got lucky; we can both punish ourselves and enjoy the punishment for the sake of success. And when you've got parents who are good at goal-setting and you look up to them in that sense, it becomes a perfect storm.”

For his sake, young Sam has been exposed to the likes of Tanner, triathlete Hayden Wilde and top Tauranga runner Julian Oakley from the time he started running seriously at 14.

“It's pretty incredible when you can see someone in the training group and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s the level I need to get to, to make this my career’,” says Sam. “It’s a cool feeling when you’re running with Tanner. Heading off with Ben on the US tour in January, on which Sam broke numerous records. Sam signed with Nike in March 2025. It’s not like, ‘I’m training with an Olympian’ – it’s the feeling of knowing exactly where you need to be to make it. The coolest thing was seeing how close I could get to him, every time I’d run with him, and that brought me to the level I am today.”

Sam has always been polite, quiet, even shy, says Sam’s father, Ben Ruthe. He has a good yarn about his young son at daycare, when a clown came in to make blow-up balloons. Swords, crowns and sausage dogs were being requested and handed out to the other kids, while Sam sat there quietly, as his parents had instructed.

“It wasn’t until right at the end that he went up and asked for a sword, and the clown had run out of balloons,” recalls Ben, clearly still a little mortified. “I thought it might’ve been quite crippling – we'd taught him to be quiet and patient and polite and never demand or ask things, and he’d missed out. I think we spent the next 10 years trying to encourage him to vocalise what he needed!”

From left: Jess, Daisy, Sam and Ben.

These days, Ben has his own semi-permanent air of bemusement about him. He knows a fair bit about running himself, having won the Auckland Marathon in 2008 and New Zealand titles in the 1500m and 5000m.

Sam’s mum Jess, meanwhile, won the Auckland Marathon in 2009 and New Zealand titles in the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and the 10,000m (twice). Still, they’re amazed by what Sam has achieved so quickly – it’s been far more life-changing for them than their eldest child. While the sub-four-minute mile was staggering, Ben had an inkling things were about to go up a level late last year.

“There were signs in training in November that Sam was in really good shape,” he says. “He was training with Tanner, who couldn’t have been a better training partner, and all of a sudden, instead of a kid trying to keep up with an Olympian, it was, ‘Sam’s starting to hold on here’, and, ‘Sam’s taking his fair share of reps’.”

Sam’s memory is even clearer. He can pinpoint one typical early-Saturday session along Ōtūmoetai’s Beach Road in particular, when he realised he could genuinely foot it with international-class seniors.

“Tanner always makes us share the reps, and when Craig sets us a pace, sometimes I might push it a little bit faster than that, just to test things a bit. I remember one session when everyone else was dropping off and I was thinking, ‘How hard is Tanner puffing right now?’ and I got the feeling that I was nearing his level because he took over and dropped the pace down again. Little moments like that are really cool to look back on.”

Ben points out that Sam’s recent injury has also had the unintended benefit of encouraging him to ask for help, but it also heaps more pressure on the parents of an athlete, when everyday decisions start carrying increasingly larger ramifications.

“We had a debate about suggesting he didn’t go out and play barefoot soccer with his mates. We weighed it up and decided, ‘Nah, we want him to enjoy the best of Kiwi youth’ – and that’s the day he picked up a fibula stress fracture!

“But if I went back in time, I’d still let him go out and play football, because you learn so much from something like this. His mindset now is around strength and conditioning, stretching, core work, cross training. He was a good runner, but now he’s got a much broader view of all of the ingredients he needs.”

Because of that inbuilt, humble mindset, Ben also has no fear that Sam’s international success will cause him to get cocky.

“We really haven't wrapped him up in cotton wool,” says Ben. “We’ve constantly put him in situations where he could test himself, and that comes with risk. He genuinely just enjoys the process and has never wanted fame. He just wants to work hard and work towards results, and any sort of fame is not a motivator for him.”

Finding your stride

Turns out there’s more to running than just putting on sneakers and hitting the pavement. Whether you’re 25 or 65, staying injury-free, fueling right and building strength are key to making it stick. We talk to the experts and the everyday runners who prove it’s never too late to get out there.

words HAYLEY BARNETT

No matter how you feel about running, one thing is clear: it's everywhere. These days, it seems like everyone you know is diving into a training plan, whether they're chasing their first 5K finish line or grinding through the ks in preparation for a marathon. Running, it appears, is enjoying a major moment.

So what’s behind running’s sudden glow-up? Is it finally time to rescue your sneakers from the back of the closet and join the stampede of Lycra-clad converts?

Or is this just another fleeting wellness craze, destined to vanish like kale chips and the Atkins diet? And let’s be honest, can anyone actually start running after 40 without something falling off?

Running the numbers

The numbers suggest running as a hobby is more than a passing trend. In 2024, the Mitre 10 MEGA Tauranga City to Surf Fun Run/Walk drew over 2,000 participants across its various distances. Helping fuel this momentum are local running communities like the Mount Maunganui Runners & Walkers Club. Founded in 1987, the club has long offered a supportive space for runners of all levels, with regular training sessions and social runs that make it easy, and fun, to get moving.

“I think the idea that a running club is only for elite or ‘good’ runners is being challenged and more people are realising that anyone can get out and run,” says president of the club Clare Watkins. “People are also looking to make connections with others and a running club is an easy way to meet new people and make new friends. There are not many sports where you can participate and still chat to your friends!”

Clare says around 70 percent of the group would be over the age of 40, with the oldest members being in their seventies.

The art of impact

So what do we need to think about when starting a running routine later in life, when we’re not quite as flexible and agile as we used to be? Emma Sievwright, a podiatrist at Body Mechanix in Tauranga, says, when done with care, running is very beneficial at any age – there’s just a few things to think about first.

“Running improves cardiovascular health, bone density, mental wellbeing and metabolic function,” explains Emma. “From a podiatrist’s view, running can strengthen foot and ankle structures if approached gradually and with the right support.”

That “right support” often starts at your feet. Alison from Smiths Sports Shoes agrees: “Wearing the correct footwear is very important if you want to enjoy your runs and stay injury-free.”

She advises seeking a professional assessment. “Getting a barefoot gait analysis, preferably a video while running and at a sports shoe shop that specialises in fitting sports shoes, can help you find the right shoes for your foot type.”

Emma adds that most running injuries stem from overuse, poor biomechanics, or inappropriate footwear. That’s a message echoed by Alison, who says many runners make simple but costly mistakes when buying shoes: “People often assume their normal shoe size is the same in running shoes, or they buy what's trendy rather than what fits. You should be able to splay your toes and have at least a finger-width from your longest toe to the front of the shoe.”

Different surfaces also demand different shoes. “Road shoes are generally for smooth hard surfaces,” Alison explains, “whereas trail shoes with more grip are better for muddy or slippery terrain.”

So yes – the type of shoe matters more than you might think. Aside from choosing the right shoes, Emma says it’s easy to avoid injury by following a few preventative steps.

“Build gradually by increasing your distance and intensity slowly. Aim for no more than a 10 percent increase per week. Warm up and cool down properly to support muscle and tendon health, and work on strength and mobility, especially around the ankles, hips and core.

“Most importantly, listen to your body. Don't ignore early warning signs like persistent soreness or changes in your running pattern.”

Run smart, eat smarter

While throwing yourself into an intense running routine is not the best idea, neither is ignoring your nutrition.

“Poor nutrition can impair tissue repair, energy levels and bone health, increasing the risk of overuse injuries,” says Emma. “Runners who under-fuel are at greater risk of stress fractures, muscle fatigue and slow recovery. Adequate intake of protein, calcium, Vitamin D and overall calories is crucial, especially for female runners or those with restrictive diets.”

Phoebe de Jong, a nutritionist from Fend in Mount Maunganui, stresses that nutrition is fundamental when it comes to running, not only to avoid injury, but also to retain muscle.

“If you’re over 50 and you like to run, you absolutely do not need to stop running,” explains Phoebe. “Running is good for your bones, it's good for your mental health and for those who are part of a run club, that is often their social contact for the week. It's their social circle and how they make their friends. It can be a lifeline for some people. But any runner over the age of 35 should look at doing strength training alongside it, such as functional movements with or without weights, to support their running and protect their muscle mass.”

Because runners expend a lot of energy, when we’re not taking in enough nutrition our bodies can naturally start to use muscle for fuel, especially as we age.

“I see a lot of clients in their 50s who are just burning their muscle for energy,” says Phoebe. “A balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats fuels the body for optimal performance. Hydration is equally important as dehydration can impair endurance and recovery. Consuming easily digestible carbohydrates, like a banana or an energy gel, during the run can help maintain blood sugar levels. Post-run, it's vital to replenish glycogen stores with a combination of carbs and protein.”

Phoebe says it’s important to be wary of fad diets or trends such as ketogenic diets or anything too low carb. “As you start to run a bit more then it’s worth considering using a carbohydrate rich snack before your run (carbohydrate is the main fuel we use to run) and then a combination of a carbohydrate and protein snack. For example, go for greek yoghurt with oat cereal and fruit or eggs on toast after your run so that you’re replacing those carbohydrate stores ready for your next session, and providing protein to repair and build muscles.”

As runs or events become longer, the specifics of nutrition become more important to maintain performance and health. Even sugar – long demonised in wellness circles – has its time and place. But no matter who you are, you might be surprised to know that sugar is not off limits. In fact, it can be very beneficial.

“A lot of runners are surprised to hear sugar being recommended in their diet,” says Phoebe. “But during training or competition, it’s often the most effective source of fuel. This is because sugar is an easily digestible source of carbohydrate to keep stores topped up, so pace can be maintained. Sports drinks, gels, fruit leathers, are all suitable options and they all contain sugar. We are then able to get all our other important nutrients in a balanced and healthy diet around our training.”

When you combine this kind of nutritional support with proper training, good technique and the right footwear, you're setting yourself up for long-term success.

Whether you're jogging around the block or prepping for your first half-marathon, one thing is clear: running is here to stay. And with the right support – on your feet, in your diet, and in your community – it can be something that truly goes the distance.

All for one, run for all

Sam Ruthe hit the headlines after a phenomenal summer of running, becoming the youngest in history to break the four-minute mile. Much of the talented Tauranga teen’s success, however, can be shared between his amazing support crew and a burgeoning squad of local runners pushing each other to great heights.

words + photos JAMIE TROUGHTON

They set off across the Tauranga Domain turf like a collective freight train; legs like pistons, a metronomic pounding, lungs puffing in time. A 900m track winds around the outskirts of the reserve, if you stick to the grass and hug the treeline. It’s scenic and varied, with enough undulation to spread the load across tired muscles.

Out front is a rangy, fair-haired kid. Eyes locked, expression calm, a distinctive stride with minimal front lift — seasoned observers reckon he’s got his dad’s gait and his mum’s flowing style.

“You don't have to worry about pacing or going easy or going hard — you just have to worry about sticking with the group,” 14-year-old Daniel Addidle explains. “It’s like you can turn your brain off a bit. I really like that.”

But Sam Ruthe isn’t having things all his own way in this training set. He’s not so much a lone wolf as the leader of a pack, and this pack is surging, snapping and fighting around him. Eventually, after six repeats of the 900m set, the pack stretches, lengthens and thins out.

As Ruthe’s rhythm increases, his times decrease. The 16-year-old’s running form isn’t so much relentless as irrepressible. He finishes alone, unflustered and focused. But this story isn’t just about the breakout schoolboy star. Behind him, that pack is far from defeated. Young and old, they’re all getting faster and, in doing so, creating a very special training environment.

“You don't have to worry about pacing or going easy or going hard — you just have to worry about sticking with the group,” 14-year-old Daniel Addidle explains. “It’s like you can turn your brain off a bit. I really like that.”

The diminutive Aquinas College athlete joined coach Craig Kirkwood’s squad of runners late last year. He’d been training at the Domain by himself, then sitting in the stands watching the likes of Ruthe, Olympian Sam Tanner and seasoned schoolboy runners George Wyllie and Ronan Dickson blaze past.

Eventually, he plucked up the courage and asked to join in. “I liked that they were a little bit older than me and if I managed to get on their level, I'd be a step ahead of my own competition. I just want to be the best that I can be.”

In Tauranga, thanks to squads like Kirkwood’s, running is becoming cool. Just ask another 14-year-old, Mackenzie Hetherington, who joined the squad soon after her good mate — Ruthe’s younger sister Daisy — was deemed old enough by her parents to start training.

“I just like being with the crew — it gets a bit boring running by yourself and it’s nice to have friends to run with,” Hetherington said. “It gives us a healthy mindset — you do your reps when you need to and then we can switch off, talking while we warm down.”

It doesn’t matter if you’re an Olympian, a national champion or a young flyer at the start of their running career, the same work ethic pervades the group. Kirkwood’s crew is a fully-fledged, functional team, here for the running, the laughs and the camaraderie, in equal measures.

“It wouldn’t be enjoyable if we all took it too seriously,” Ruthe explains. “Everyone can have a bad day but the fact we all have so much fun means that it doesn’t matter if we’re not feeling great or working through an injury. We are all pretty focused when we are doing reps but there is always a bit of banter going on.”

Philosophy or fluke? Planned or stumbled on? It’s clear Kirkwood’s canny coaching instincts are not only producing world-class athletes but also instilling a genuine love for what they do.

His runners aren’t afraid to fail, which means that before they even line up, it’s guaranteed they’ll succeed. “I’m not the kind of person to tell them off for anything,” Kirkwood, a former Commonwealth Games marathon runner, muses. “If they don’t show up to training one day, I’m not going to berate them for not being here. My job as a coach is to help them be better, rather than telling them off for doing things wrong, and that flows into the rest of the squad and they pick up on that.”

When Sam Ruthe captured the attention of the running world in March, becoming the first 15-year-old on the planet to run a sub-four minute mile, one of his heroes was alongside and one of his good mates had the best seat in the house. The hero was Tanner, another Tauranga product, who has been to two Olympic Games and has emerged as New Zealand’s best middle-distance runner.

Three years ago, as a 13-year-old from Ōtūmoetai Intermediate, Ruthe was standing next to Tanner at Tauranga’s Waipuna Park, having just won the Year Eight boys’ cross country title at the Zespri AIMS Games. All the talk at the time was of how Tanner had won the same title nine years before, and whether Ruthe could one day emulate his achievements. That day has come quicker than anyone – parent, coach or athlete – could ever have anticipated.

Earlier this year, Ruthe and Tanner created history in Dunedin by sharing the New Zealand senior men’s 1500m title in a 3min 44.31sec dead heat. Ruthe is the youngest ever winner of the title. Less than a fortnight later, Tanner was again right beside Ruthe, pacing him at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium as the teenager clocked an incredible 3:58.35 for the mile.

“I didn’t realise at the time but breaking that record means that I can now get into races I never thought I could before and getting into fast races is what helps you keep getting faster,” Ruthe says.

But the life-changing nature of that race didn’t stop with him. In fourth place, tucked in behind Tanner, Ruthe and Manawatū’s Ben Wall, was another now the kids are coming through.”

It just happened that two of those gun runners in the neighbourhood were Wellington-raised middle distance star Ben Ruthe, and his new wife Jess, daughter of running royalty Rosemary (Commonwealth Games gold medallist for Scotland) and Trevor (marathon champion) Wright.

When their kids Sam and Daisy eventually – and not unexpectedly – started showing promise, Ben and Jess wisely resisted letting them begin formal training until they were at least 13, to prevent burnout and promote a more mature approach to their running. It’s meant that Sam, for one, is certainly taking success in his stride, safe in the knowledge he and his mates are in the best space possible for their development.

“All of us really look forward to Craig’s sessions and there’s always a good vibe. We’re really lucky that some of our friends from around the country come and stay here and join in our sessions too – we all know it’s something special he has created.”