If anyone has been keeping a tab on Noah Lyles lately, they know the man simply refuses to fade into the background! The track superstar has always been a master at keeping himself in the spotlight, whether it’s his bold fashion choices or his online back-and-forth with the Athletes. But this latest move? It’s pure Noah being Noah. The Olympic 100m champion and the jaw-dropping American 200m record holder with 19.31 seconds is heading for untested waters. What is that you ask? Well, Lyles is throwing it back to his early days, dusting off his 400m spikes for the first time since 2016 and has got a journalist reaction as well!

Honestly, when it comes to Noah Lyles, the man doesn’t just run races, he makes moments. According to Citius Mag, Lyles has entered in the men’s 400m at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville this Saturday, which is his first open 400m race since 2016. Yep, almost nine years after clocking 47.04s, he’s finally bringing the event back into his orbit. Why shift gears now? Well, back in March, Lyles hinted at it. Posted on X: “Did a 400m workout yesterday and I’m not gonna lie… I think I need to run a 400 soon.”

Fast forward to now, and here we are. Journalist Anderson Emerole of Citius Mag was quick to weigh in. Taking to X, he noted, “Despite having high-quality 100 & 200 marks, Noah’s 400 time falls well below others since he hasn’t run it since high school. Won’t make predictions since it’s a season opener, but almost certain he’ll move up this combo sprinters list.”

Emerole shared a chart listing the top 20 all-time combined 100m/200m/400m sprinters based on IAAF scoring. Lyles currently sits 17th with 3653 points—his 9.79s in the 100m and 19.31s in the 200m are elite, but his 47.04s from 2016 drags the total down. By contrast, Fred Kerley (2nd) has a 43.64s in the 400m, and Michael Johnson (3rd) a staggering 43.18s. Even Yohan Blake, with a 46.32, is ahead.

Noah Lyles’ Tom Jones 400m comeback laden with challenges

It looks like Noah Lyles is diving straight into the deep end. Honestly, who returns to the 400m after nearly a decade and picks this race to do it? As the saying goes, “If you’re going to test the depth of the water, don’t do it with both feet”, but Noah, being Noah, is cannonballing right in.

And the water? It’s anything but calm. It is one of the toughest 400m fields this season.

Waiting in the lanes? Let’s start with Erriyon Knighton. Just 21, already a 2-time World medalist in the 200m, and now dabbling in the 400m like it’s a walk in the park. He clocked 45.37 a few days ago. Then there’s Christopher Morales Williams, the 19-year-old Canadian who dropped a jaw-dropping 44.49 indoors. If that mark gets ratified, it’ll wipe Kerron Clement’s long-standing indoor world record clean off the books.

Now, here’s Lyles, whose last 400m mark reads 47.04. That won’t cut it in this company. This isn’t just about race fitness. This is about whether he can hold off men who live at this distance.

Can Lyles handle the lactic, the pacing, the closing storm? He’s a champion, yes. But in this field, he’s the one with something to prove. The Tom Jones 400m won’t offer a soft welcome.