Noah Lyles vs Tyreek Hill: How does the NFL star's feats of speed stack up against the Olympic champion?

Noah Lyles and Tyreek Hill will race in a 60m dash.

Noah Lyles vs Tyreek Hill: How does the NFL star's feats of speed stack up against the Olympic champion?

Stephen Awino 08:00 - 20.02.2025

Noah Lyles and Tyreek Hill are finally poised to settle the debate over who is the fastest after months of back and forth.

The much-anticipated showdown between Olympic sprinting sensation Noah Lyles and NFL speedster Tyreek Hill is set to take place either in the spring or summer, with the aim of settling the debate over who truly deserves the title of the world’s fastest man.

After months of playful taunting and social media banter, the two speedsters finally agreed to discuss the race’s details, culminating in the decision to compete before Lyles takes on the US Championships in July.

But how does the Miami Dolphins wide receiver measure up against the reigning Olympic champion? Pulse Sports takes a look at how the footballer stacks up against Noah Lyles' speed.

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How is Tyreek Hill so fast?

Tyreek Hill, known for his blistering speed on the football field, showcased his raw talent in track and field during his time at Oklahoma State, where he primarily competed as a teenager.

His personal bests include a 6.61-second mark in the 60 meters, a 10.19-second time in the 100 meters, and a 20.14-second finish in the 200 meters.

Noah Lyles Speed

These times, while impressive, are not quite at the elite level of professional sprinters. For perspective, his 60-meter best of 6.61 seconds places him joint 617th on the all-time list.

On the other hand, Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic 100m champion, boasts a vastly superior resume in track and field.

Lyles recently clocked a 6.52-second 60m dash at the Boston Indoor Grand Prix and ran 6.62 seconds in his season opener at the RADD Invitational in Gainesville.

However, his all-time best of 6.43 seconds, set at the USATF Indoor Championships in February 2024, ranks him joint 10th in history.

Noah Lyles 100m time

Lyles' dominance extends to the longer sprints as well.

His 100-meter personal best of 9.79 seconds, achieved at the 2024 Paris Olympics where he won a gold medal, ranks him 12th on the all-time list.

Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt tops that list with his 9.58 seconds world record set at the 2009 World Athletics Championship in Berlin.

Noah Lyles 200m time

Even more striking is his performance in the 200 meters, where his 19.31-second best, recorded in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022, makes him the third-fastest man in history behind Jamaican sprinting legends Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.

While Hill’s speed is undeniable in the context of football, where acceleration and quick bursts are paramount, the technical precision, endurance, and top-end speed required for elite-level sprinting places Lyles in an entirely different class.

Hill’s best 100m time of 10.19 seconds, while fast, is well off the pace of Lyles’ sub-10-second performances.

Additionally, Lyles' ability to sustain his speed over the 200 meters underscores a level of conditioning and speed endurance that Hill has never needed to develop for his sport.

Ultimately, while Hill may be one of the fastest athletes in the NFL, Lyles operates at an entirely different level in track and field.

The upcoming race will certainly generate excitement, but based on personal bests and sprinting credentials, Lyles appears to have a clear edge over his football counterpart.