The possibility of a race between the fastest man, Noah Lyles, and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been brewing for quite some time now. It all started with a playful jab after the 2024 Paris Olympics, but now it has the world talking. Hill challenged Lyles to a 50-yard dash, but Lyles wasn’t having it. But it’s not because Lyles is not ready! In fact, quite the opposite.

Noah Lyles is ready to race, only in a full 100-meter race, and it has to be “no gimmicks.“ And with Noah’s recent YouTube shenanigans with Speed, the world is now more than ever looking forward to the possible race. The topic recently became a point of conversation on the sets of the Ready Set Go Podcast by Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green. And Rodney had some advice for Noah!

Track legend Rodney Green’s unfiltered thoughts on the Lyles-Hill race!

According to Rodney Green, right now would actually be Tyreek’s best shot at taking on Lyles. Why? Tyreek is smack in the middle of the NFL season, primed and ready to run at his peak, while Lyles is in the off-season and likely just getting back into training. Rodney, putting it bluntly, went on to say, “I know Tyreek ain’t stopping this season to race nobody. This would be his best shot, though. His best shot is to race right now while he’s priming.” While this is great for Tyreek, it’s not so much for Lyles, and Rodney knows that, too!

Rodney Green went on to add, “But Noah wouldn’t do that—Noah’s smart. If I’m correct, he knows how football works, so he probably wouldn’t race him until February. I think February is the best time for Noah to race him.” And, of course, the legend is not wrong in saying so! If it happens, February is the sweet spot for both athletes. Right after football season and before Lyles’ season begins. But why do the 100m? Is it simply because Noah wears that crown?

Well, yes and no. On one side, yes, Noah Lyles could defend his crown and stand tall. On the other hand, Lyles is playing to his strength. Lyles thrives over longer distances, where his endurance and top-end speed come into play. After all, before the 100m, he was the 200m king. Whereas for Tyreek Hill, his acceleration might give him an advantage in the shorter sprints. Hence, the “no gimmicks”.  And it’s a good thing Noah made that clear rather early because his “gimmicks” on YouTube have definitely had fans questioning his speed.

Race against ‘Speed’ is a lesson in not racing off-season!

Recently, Noah Lyles ran a race against Youtube IShowSpeed. This was a 50-meter dash and an unfortunate one at that. The race began surprisingly close. Speed and Noah, as the match began, were pretty much stride for stride. And this was rather surprising for someone like Speed, who has no formal training and just sprinted! The race ended with Noah winning, of course, but it was close. And so much so that Speed wanted a rematch!

While it was close, the part to be noted is that Lyles ran the 50m off-season. He is not in training and is coming back after a year of sprinting on a global level. But this doesn’t mean Lyles is okay with the accusations. In fact, Lyles himself, in the video, says, “You should practice with me, and then at the end of the week, we’ll race again.” Another Speed-Lyles race might be fun, but the takeaway from this was not that Lyles was simply off-season!

But that, if Noah Lyles wants to defeat Tyreek Hill, he’ll need to be in season. And above all, at his peak. To add on, if he truly intends to race, Noah Lyles will have it to do in February. Now, the world’s watching, waiting for the ultimate race to happen. Will Hill take his shot, as Noah said, with “no gimmicks”?