Olympic Champion Noah Lyles Gears Up for Race Against NFL Star Tyreek Hill
A little over six months after claiming Olympic gold in the men’s 100 meters and earning the title of “fastest man alive,” American sprinter Noah Lyles is embracing a new challenge—racing against Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
After months of trading barbs, the two speedsters officially agreed to face off earlier this month—and Lyles isn’t taking it lightly.
“I’m not here to play around. I’m dead serious about this,” Lyles told Family Us News. “I’m going to bring everything I got for this.”
The Origins of the Showdown
Lyles, 27, clinched gold in Paris with a breathtaking finish, edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by mere fractions of a second. Just over a week later, Hill—widely regarded as the fastest receiver in the NFL—was asked on a podcast if he could beat Lyles in a race. His answer? A confident ‘yes.’
Since then, their rivalry has escalated, with Lyles fueling the fire by holding up a “Tyreek could never” sign after winning the 60-meter race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Feb. 2.
But for Lyles, this isn’t just playful trash talk—he wants Hill to know he means business.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m just out here joking,” Lyles said. “Let me be confident in saying this: I’m your guy. I’m your guy who’s gonna let you swing, but best believe I will dodge—and you will get hit with an uppercut.”
Hill Fires Back
Hill, never one to back down, responded in kind during an interview with NBC Sports, declaring:
“Lyles should be scared of me in a 40-yard dash.”
While some have criticized Lyles for engaging in what they call a “huge mistake”—arguing that an Olympic champion shouldn’t entertain a challenge from an NFL player—Lyles sees a bigger picture.
Bringing More Eyes to Track & Field
For Lyles, this race isn’t just about personal bragging rights—it’s about elevating the sport of track and field beyond the Olympics.
“Something that’s constantly on my mind is how to keep track relevant,” he said. “Track and field has a great reputation inside the Olympics, but in the U.S., it’s just fallen short too many times in terms of marketing.”
Lyles believes this high-profile race against Hill could be a game-changer in bringing new attention to the sport.
“I get a lot of hate from people who don’t believe I should be racing him. They say, ‘this is beneath you.’ Well, apparently it’s not—because here we are.”
Lyles: More Than Just a Sprinter
Beyond his incredible speed, Lyles is a master showman. Whether flashing Yu-Gi-Oh! cards before races or earning the endorsement of Snoop Dogg, who wore a T-shirt with Lyles’s face during the Olympics, the sprinter has always aimed to entertain as much as he dominates.
“I want to be more than just a runner because there are enough runners,” Lyles said. “But who are the performers?”
The Race: What We Know So Far
While many details remain up in the air, Lyles has hinted that:
✅ The race may be 60 meters
✅ Times Square in New York City is a potential location
✅ A summer showdown is likely—aligning with Lyles’s U.S. Championships training and Hill’s NFL preseason prep
And while Hill may be confident, Lyles is looking beyond just winning—he’s thinking about history.
“I have an opportunity to break the world record along with beating Tyreek,” Lyles said. “So Tyreek better be ready—because if a world record gets dropped on his head, he ain’t gonna be able to hear nothing.”
