A much-anticipated 100-meter race between Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles, originally set for this weekend in New York City’s Times Square, has been abruptly called off. The cancellation was confirmed by Lyles during a panel in France on Monday, who cited unspecified personal reasons for the event falling through despite extensive preparations.
Background and Build-Up to the Race
Hill and Lyles initially agreed to hold the race sometime in 2025, following a public challenge between the two. The rivalry intensified after Lyles secured Olympic gold in the 100 meters last August, becoming the first American to do so since Justin Gatlin in 2004. The social media exchanges between the athletes, which began last year, fueled widespread excitement for the sprint showdown.
Hill notably posted a video last Friday showing himself running a 10.15-second 100 meters at the preliminary heats of the Last Chance Sprint Series in California. Although this time was still behind Lyles’ personal best of 9.79 seconds, set at the Paris Games, it underscored Hill’s dedication to the challenge. He added a pointed message by holding a sign that read, “Noah could never,” referencing a similar taunt Lyles shot at him earlier in February during the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, when Lyles held up a sign saying, “Tyreek could never.”
Details on Why the Race Did Not Happen
Speaking openly about the cancellation, Noah Lyles explained,
“We were very deep into creating the event. In fact, it was supposed to happen this weekend. Unfortunately, there were some things, complications, personal reasons that it just didn’t come to pass. But, I mean, we were full in. We were going to have a big event. We were going to shut down New York Times Square and everything. We were going to have all the billboards planned for the event. It was going to be a lot of fun.”
Lyles also addressed the skepticism surrounding the race since its announcement.
“I’ll take this moment, because what we were dealing with was a lot of people didn’t believe it to be true,”
said Lyles.
“They thought it was just, ‘Oh, this is just them talking online.’ You know, we had to bring it to fruition. So we had to talk. And they were like, ‘Oh, we don’t believe that not only the people in the common, but also the companies, they don’t believe it’s real.’ It’s like, don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. I know what to do. And it’s not going to look gimmick. It’s not going to look to a point where it’s staged. It’s going to be right on the money. Trust me.”
Reactions and Implications Moving Forward
Tyreek Hill expressed disappointment at the last-minute cancellation, further fueling the tension by suggesting on social media that Lyles backed out after seeing Hill’s recent sprint time. Lyles remained composed, adding,
“And when you have the confidence to be able to know that you’re going to win the race, then you get the confidence to be able to say this is my opportunity and I get to do with it as I please.”
The cancellation comes as a significant disappointment to fans eager to witness a race featuring two of the fastest men in the world, especially in a high-profile location such as Times Square. Both athletes remain active in their respective sports disciplines, and there is potential for the event to be rescheduled once the personal complications are resolved.