Noah Lyles isn’t only quick—he is a straight-up superstar redefining history. The Olympic champion absolutely flies on track and also never shies away from putting his opinions off the track. Be it being vocal about the Grand Slam Track, or talking about his rival Tyreek Hill, or Fred Kerley. 

Smashing records is his thing; rocking outrageous hairdos is a bonus. But behind all the medals and the mic drop, fans can’t stop asking what makes this guy tick. What’s his background? Where’s he from? And what drives him so that he remains so unstoppable? Let’s go through it.

What is Noah Lyles’ ethnicity?

Noah Lyles is African American, born and raised with velocity in his veins. He was born in Gainesville, Florida, to Keisha Caine Bishop and Kevin Lyles but raised in Alexandria, Virginia—a stone’s throw from D.C. The six-time world champion hails from a family where the track isn’t only a sport; it’s a tradition. How, you may ask? Well, both his parents are former collegiate track athletes.

Now, let’s get real about what makes Noah Noah. Beyond the medals and the hype, he’s unapologetically proud of his Black heritage. Whether he’s sporting colorful braids, a fierce ‘fro, or speaking out against the lack of representation in sports, he’s become a walking billboard for Black excellence. Per Sky Sports, Noah said after completing the 2023 World Athletics Championships, “I’m Black, but I hate when I have to say that I’m Black. It’s a tough journey no matter who you are…” But does he follow any religion?

What is Noah Lyles’ religion?

“Thank you, God. Thank you, God,” Lyles whispered these words before he could start his 2024 Olympics 100-meter sprint. In an interview with Premier Christian Radio, the Olympic champion said, “I had to find my own journey with God and a lot of that came through track because there were a lot of times where I thought, I don’t know if I can do this.” He further added, “God, if you really want me to do this, give me a sign. He gave me a sign and I said, I’ll never doubt you again.”

By reading this, one can say that Noah Lyles believes in God, but as they say, a coin has two sides. Lyles believes in God, no doubt, but he and his family went through a lot in the past as they lived in a ‘cult.’ Yep, you read it correctly. Noah Lyles calls himself a Christian, but don’t expect the Sunday school version. Growing up, Noah’s family was tangled in what he straight-up called a “cult.” Noah Lyles added, “But it was super strict.”

Per People, the fastest man in the world shared his experience of that time with Everybody Wants to Be Us podcast. The podcast was released after the 2024 Olympics, where he said, “I actually grew up in a cult. It was a cult. It just wasn’t at the level of, ‘Yeah, okay. We’re going to drink the Kool-Aid.’” According to Nojo18, religious groups controlled everything from homeschooling, as he put it, they “had to be homeschooling their kids,” and the shared belief was, that “the father was the head of the household.” That wasn’t enough. The 27-year-old added, “The church told you who you could date and who you couldn’t date.” In fact, every marriage had to go through the church. “That type of behavior,” Lyles explained.

Noah Lyles disclosed, “So, we left that, but that kind of really messed up my view of church, and it definitely messed up my mom’s view.” Though he didn’t stop believing in God, such incidents break you as a person and shake the trust. Yet, Lyles’ faith stands tall. Between mentoring sprinters half his age and spitting the truth about mental health, he’s building something bigger—a movement.