NFL Star Tyreek Hill Challenges Olympic Sprinter Noah Lyles to a Race

“Sign the contract and lock in that 50 yard race,” Hill wrote on social media

Tyreek Hill; Noah Lyles
From Left: Tyreek Hill; and Noah Lyles. Photo: AP Photo; Sam Mellish/Getty

Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles made his dreams come true coming in first place at the Paris Summer Games and cementing his proclamation as the fastest man in the world. But Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill believes he can top him and just challenged the gold medalist to a race to prove it.

On Sunday, Aug. 18, Hill, 30, doubled down on his previous claims that he can beat Lyles in a race, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Sign the contract and lock in that 50 yard race.”

Hill initially challenged the 100m champ during an interview with Up & Adams on Aug. 12, saying, “I would beat Noah Lyles [in a race]. I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.”

The wide receiver added a little extra to his challenge when is questioned whether Lyles, 27, was really sick with COVID-19 at the Olympics when he won bronze in the men’s 200m race before withdrawing from the men’s 4x100m relay final shortly after.

Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins and AFC runs with the ball during the first half of the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium on February 04, 2024 in Orlando, Florida.
Tyreek Hill on Feb. 4, 2024.Mike Ehrmann/Getty

During an appearance on the Nightcap podcast on Sunday, Lyles finally responded to Hill, adding that he was skeptical about the seriousness of Hill’s claim.

“He’s challenging me to race in the 100? We can race,” Lyles said. “If he’s serious about it, if he’s truly serious about it — I’m not talking about, you’re just talking on the internet and you ain’t actually coming to me and talking to my agent and saying let’s set something up — if you’re serious about it, you’ll see me on the track.”

That response, of course, prompted Hill’s offer to “lock in that” race. Whether the two will actually face off against each other on the track remains to be seen.

Noah Lyles of Team United States competes at the Men's 100m Semi-Final on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France.
Noah Lyles on Aug. 4, 2024.Jean Catuffe/Getty

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On Aug. 4, Lyles officially became the fastest man in the world when he crossed the finish line in the 100m dash at Paris’ Stade de France with a time of 9.784 seconds.

Then, the Team USA track and field star was just two days away from competing in the men’s 200m final on Aug. 8 when he tested positive for COVID. Despite the aches and pains, he was able to bring home a bronze medal in the race.

In an interview with PEOPLE on Sunday, Aug. 11, Lyles said he’s finally feeling “a lot better,” despite some fatigue.

“I was just telling my girlfriend, I’m like, ‘I am so tired,’ and she’s like, ‘Well, you did just win the 100 with COVID, and still not getting as much rest as possible,” says Lyles, who has been dating fellow Olympic sprinter Junelle Bromfield since 2022.

Lyles said there was never a doubt in his mind that he’d compete, despite dealing with fatigue, chills, aches and the need to get his asthma under control so as not to risk a respiratory issue like bronchitis.

“As long as I knew that I was allowed to, I was gonna tackle it,” he said of running the 200m race.

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