How Craig Kirkwood Went From Self-Coached Teenager to Developing Olympic Medalists and the Fastest U18 Miler in History Sam Ruthe

THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Dominic Schlueter

Sports, Running

4.9 • 821 Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The story of coach Craig Kirkwood doesn’t begin and end with teenage phenom Sam Ruthe.

Yes, just this year the 16-year-old Ruthe ran 3:48.88 indoors, breaking the World U18 Indoor Mile record and the New Zealand senior record in one race. It was a generational performance.

But this wasn’t Coach Craig’s first run-in with elite talent. He has coached Olympic medalists like Hayden Wilde (Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020; and silver medalist in Paris 2024 in the triathlon), New Zealand record holders like Sam Tanner (Two-time Olympian and New Zealand record holder in the 1500m), and he’s done it while building athletes who balance elite performance with real life.

Craig wasn’t handed a blueprint. He built himself first: from self-coached teenager, studying Arthur Lydiard; to 2:13marathoner; to World Cross Country athlete; to three-time Kona Ironman competitor.

Sam Ruthe’s latest 3:48.88 mile wasn’t an accident. Just like Hayden Wilde’s Olympic medals weren’t luck, and Sam Tanner’s record-breaking 1500m wasn’t random.

They’re products of a system built on belief, patience, and long-term development. Coach Craig Kirkwood has seen a lot and has lived every phase of endurance sports. And that lived experience shows up in how he develops athletes today.

Tap into the Craig Kirkwood Special.

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome back to the Running Effect podcast. Today I am joined by the legendary Craig Kirkwood,
0:07.8	who coaches Sam Ruth, who just ran 3.48 in the mile, just at 16 years old. And Craig wasn't even
0:14.3	in the building. Craig was back in New Zealand, refreshing live splits on the screen, watching history
0:18.8	happen in real time, like many of you listening today.
0:21.7	But today, you're sitting down with the man himself.
0:23.8	The man behind Sam, as well as Olympic silver medalist Hayden Wilde in a Saturday morning squad of 30 kids
0:29.2	that's quietly becoming one of the most dangerous training groups in the world.
0:32.5	In today's conversation, you'll learn why Craig believes boring, consistent sessions beat hero workouts every time,
0:38.4	how he holds back a teenage phenom who's ready to race like a pro, and what he saw
0:42.7	working along some of the greatest African distance runners alive that completely changed how he
0:47.3	coaches. Whether you're coaching yourself, coaching your kid, or just chasing a PR, this one delivers.
0:52.8	So if you enjoy it, hit the follow button so you don't miss conversations like this in the future. Leave a five-star review and share this podcast episode with someone who needs to hear it. I appreciate all the recent support. Drop a comment down YouTube, Spotify, wherever you're listening. Let me hear your thoughts on this conversation or future guests you want to hear on the podcast. And without further ado, enjoy the wisdom of one of the greatest up and coming coaches in the entire world,
1:14.1	the coach behind Sam Ruth, coach Craig Kirkwood.
1:21.7	Coach Craig Kirkwood, welcome to the Running Effect podcast. How are you doing this afternoon?
1:25.5	Yeah, I'm doing great. Thanks. Thanks for having me on. Pleasure.
1:28.1	First question for you, man. Sam Ruth, when was the first time you ever heard his name? When he was born. So I've been friends with his parents for, yeah, for a long time now. Wasn't expecting that response. I was like, were you the, were you the surgeon at the hospital? Yeah, yeah, I was a delivery man, yeah.
1:45.6	So I've been nursing them since then.
1:47.4	Now, yeah, I was a delivery man, yeah.
1:45.6	So I've been nursing him since then.
1:47.4	No, no, I've known his parents for a long time.
1:50.3	We used to race together and run together.
1:51.7	So I've known them for quite a while.
	...

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