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# Face of the Day
- URL: https://goodoil.news/face-of-the-day-1383/
- Published: 2026-01-11T17:30:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-11T17:30:05.000Z
- Description: About 30 minutes before the race, they were told the guide would be Sam Ruthe – a record-smashing runner who on January 4 became the fastest 16-year-old to ever run the 1000m distance.
- Author: Good Oil Staff
- Tags: Face of the Day

> The 16-year-old, who holds almost every national record for distances between 800–5000m in under-16s through to U20s, was a surprise starter in the Colgate Games on Saturday morning, lining up to guide visually impaired athlete Tamahau Hicks in his 1500m race. \[...\]  
>  
> \[Sam Ruthe\] had already been planning to attend the event, where athletes between 7–14 years compete, to help with medal presentations and meet some of the athletes.  
>  
> But when Hicks’ original guide had to pull out due to illness, Athletics Tauranga secretary Andrea Neal reached out to see if Ruthe was available.  
>  
> [NZ Herald](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics/athletics-prodigy-sam-ruthe-guides-young-visually-impaired-athlete-tamahau-hicks-at-colgate-games/JW5GHCFYBVGFNPPOGZIP3PUX3Q/?ref=goodoil.news)

> About 30 minutes before the race, they were told the guide would be Ruthe – a record-smashing runner who on January 4 became [the fastest 16-year-old to ever run the 1000m distance](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360920352/16-year-old-sam-ruthe-12-seconds-peter-snell-after-latest-record?ref=goodoil.news).  
>  
> “He was really stoked,” \[Tamahau Hick’s mother, Emily Kay\] told *Stuff* of Tamahau’s reaction. “It definitely made the weekend for him.”  
>  
> Kay said running on a marked track was “really difficult” for her son.  
>  
> “He has to really concentrate on staying in his lane, which makes it quite taxing when you’re trying to run.  
>  
> “Tamahau said he just copied Sam. He said, ‘I copied his arms, I copied his legs, I copied his pace’,” Kay said.  
>  
> His efforts paid off when he set a personal best of 5 minutes and 57 seconds, shaving 40 seconds off his previous best.  
>  
> “Tamahau told \[Ruthe\] that he wanted to get around in six minutes. So Sam watched the time to make sure that’s what they did.  
>  
> “Sam pretty much said to him ‘we’re gonna not go too fast for the first two and a half laps, and in the last lap, we’re just gonna gun it’,” Kay said.  
>  
> Tamahau took up running two years ago after he suffered a traumatic brain injury, impacting his vision, spatial awareness and coordination. \[...\]  
>  
> Kay said Saturday was her son’s personal highlight in his running career so far, in part thanks to Ruthe’s support.  
>  
> [Stuff](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360922814/young-vision-impaired-runner-almost-had-drop-out-his-race-sam-ruthe-was-having-none-it?ref=goodoil.news)