March 19 (UPI) -- New Zealander Sam Ruthe, 15, became the world's youngest person to break the four-minute mile barrier with a time of 3:58.35 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, N.Z., Wednesday evening.
Ruthe placed second in the rain-soaked race won by Olympian Sam Tanner and finished ahead of Ben Wall, who also broke the four-minute mark with a time of 3:59 to finish third, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Tanner posted a time of 3:58.29 while winning the race, the BBC reported.
"This was probably my favorite goal I've reached," Ruthe told media afterward.
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"Definitely enjoyed this one the most with all the people here supporting me," he said. "It was absolutely magical to cross with my training partner Sam. One of the nicest feelings ever."
Ruthe is a middle-distance runner and already broke several records this year, including becoming New Zealand's youngest senior national champion while setting a world record time for his age in a 3,000-meters race in February.
He won the 3,000-meters title during the New Zealand Track and Field Championships with a time of 7:56.18, CNN reported.
Ruthe also tied Tanner for first place to win a share of the senior national championship in a 1,500-meters race in March.
Ruthe's world-record mile run was more than three seconds faster than his prior best of 4:01.72, which he posted during the Cooks Classic in January.
Ruthe turns 16 in April, and his time in the mile on Wednesday also bested Tanner's prior under-20 and under-19 records of 3:58.41.
Britain's Roger Bannister was the first human to break the four-minute barrier in the mile in 1954.
