It was supposed to be a breakout moment—but not for who you’d think. The men’s 400m at the Tom Jones Invitational had everything: stacked competition, blistering times, and a surprise appearance from sprint king Noah Lyles testing new waters. But in the first heat of the race, it wasn’t the winner making headlines. It was the guy who finished fifth. Wait, what?

Well, Noah Lyles, in his first 400m race since high school, ran a personal best of 45.87. That’s a massive improvement from his previous 47.04, and yeah—it’s impressive, especially for someone whose bread and butter has always been the 100 and 200. But while the internet was busy throwing a parade for Lyles’ range, one performance went underappreciated: the winner of this race, who won in a time of 44.27. Want to know the whole story?

Everything was picture-perfect on April 19, 2025, at the Tom Jones Invitational—the crowd, the lineup, the cameras all dialed in. And when Noah Lyles stepped onto the track for the 400m heat 1, the hype hit the roof. But plot twist—he didn’t win. Jacory Patterson stole the show with a blazing 44.27, one of the top times in the world this season. Justin Robinson (45.22), Kennedy Lightner (45.64), and Alonzo Russell (45.82) followed, with Lyles finishing fifth in 45.87. Still, social media crowned Lyles the star of the day, while Patterson’s world-class win barely got a fraction of the spotlight.

X quickly turned into a Noah Lyles appreciation thread. Mostly everybody on X  jumped on his performance, with Travis Miller captioning his post, “Running his first 400m race since high school, Noah Lyles shatters his PB in 45.87!” The tweet, now with over 6,600 views, came with a graphic and a giant red arrow pointing straight at Lyles’ name—meanwhile, Jacory Patterson and his blazing 44.27?

Treated like an afterthought! No shade to Lyles—he’s the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 100m and deserves credit for stepping into the 400m with confidence. But Patterson just clocked one of the best times in the world this year… and barely got a whisper. Fans noticed the snub too, and they weren’t shy about sharing their frustration.

Fans question whether Noah Lyles deserves the hype in the 400m

One fan nailed the vibe perfectly: “Maybe we discuss the 44.27, then mention Noah.” Another chimed in, “44.27 in that race and you’re talking about Noah Lyles 💀💀💀.” While Noah Lyles’s name always draws buzz, this one belonged to Jacory Patterson. The 25-year-old American sprinter, known for his speed in the 100m, 200m, and 400m, just dropped a 44.27 in heat 1 that turned heads—and flipped the script. That time wasn’t just fast. It was a full-blown statement.

Jacory’s no rookie to the big stage. He’s repped both Virginia Tech and the University of Florida and even broke the 300m U-20 world record (32.49) back in 2019 in his first collegiate meet. Earlier this year, he clocked a season best of 45.41 in the 400m on February 14—but that’s old news now. With this breakout race, he didn’t just beat the clock—he snatched the spotlight. Oh, and let’s not forget, he’s already a world indoor champion and a world indoor silver medalist. Not bad for someone folks weren’t even talking about before the gun went off.

One fan had a strong opinion: “Bro should not SNIFF the 4×400.” Another chimed in, “Impressive run by Noah Lyles in the 400m. But 44.27 deserved more spotlight.” Honestly, both points hit hard. Noah Lyles stepping into the 400m in 2025 wasn’t just a random test of his limits—it was a full-on statement. We already know him as the undisputed king of the 100m and 200m with his blazing 9.79 and 19.31 times. But this year, he wanted to show he could also take on the longer sprint. His previous personal best in the 400m was 47.04 from way back in 2016, and since then, he’s focused mainly on the shorter sprints, racking up world titles. Now, he must be aiming to break Wayde van Niekerk’s 43.03 world record.

Running a 45.87 in Heat 1 was a solid step forward for Noah Lyles, clearly an improvement over his high school best. But the final results told a different story. In the finals, Christopher Robinson claimed victory in the Olympic Development Men’s 400m with a time of 44.15, while Jacory Patterson finished second at 44.27, and Matthew Boiling took third with 44.92. As for Noah? He didn’t make the top ten, finishing 14th overall with a time of 45.82. It was clear that Lyles is still building his speed endurance as he prepares for the World Athletics Championships in September.

One more fan jumped in, “Why is 5th place trending?? Did I miss something?? 😭😭.” Another quipped, “Lyles fans celebrating like he just broke the WR… he placed fifth, babes.” And someone else couldn’t hold back, adding, “The disrespect is crazy.” It’s tough, but hey, it’s true that Noah Lyles is one of the best sprinters in the world, and while the hype around his name is usually justified, this time it seemed a little… misplaced. Sure, he’s got multiple world titles under his belt, but this weekend wasn’t exactly his finest hour.

Lyles has big goals for the 400m, and while this wasn’t his breakthrough moment, it’s clear he’s working on something bigger. Still, the fans’ reactions showed how quick people are to jump on the hype train—and how quick they are to call it out when things don’t go as planned.