Bay of Plenty teen Sam Ruthe has become the youngest person to break four minutes for the mile, with a 3m 58.35s run at Mt Smart Stadium.
Paced throughout by training partner and two-time Olympian Sam Tanner, Ruthe became the first 15-year-old to go under the sub-four mark despite wet and cold conditions.
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Less than a month off his 16th birthday, he beat his own previous age best of 4m 01.72s, set at Whanganui in January.
Ruthe became the youngest man to claim a New Zealandsenior title, when he won the 3000m crown at Napier, and then added a second, when he deadheated with Tanner over 1500m at Dunedin last week.
Tanner won the race in 3m 58.29s, shouting encouragement to Ruthe younger rival down the homestraight,.
Feilding's Ben Wall also broke four minutes for the first time with 3m 59.00s in third.