Noah Lyles isn’t just chasing greatness. He’s redefining what it means to sprint boldly. The reigning 100m world champion has already ruled the short sprints with his trademark flair and jaw-dropping speed. And if you know Lyles, you know he’s not just in it to try. He’s talking about world records. Specifically, the legendary 43.03 mark set by Wayde van Niekerk in Rio. The twist? Lyles hasn’t run a competitive 400m since high school, when he still clocked a raw, untamed 47.04.
But what really set the internet buzzing wasn’t just Lyles’ ambition. It was what a seasoned track commentator, Anderson Emerole, said in response, reacting to Lyles’ old times and hypothetical ceiling. “Won’t make predictions since it’s a season opener, but almost certain he’ll move up this combo sprinters list,” the analyst threw it back to none other than Usain Bolt, sparking a firestorm in the comments. Could Lyles, like Bolt, be one of those rare sprinters capable of breaking barriers across all three distances? The conversation lit up fast. Especially when Bolt’s untapped 400m potential got dragged into the mix.
Track analyst Anderson Emerole took to X, offering a grounded and instantly viral reality check to Noah Lyles’ bold 400m ambitions. “Despite having high-quality 100 & 200 marks, Noah’s 400 time falls well below others since he hasn’t run it since high school,” Emerole noted. It wasn’t a dig; it was data. While Lyles has clocked 9.79 in the 100m and 19.31 in the 200m, his 400m best is a distant 47.04 from his high school days. And in a field where elite sprinters like Fred Kerley and even Usain Bolt have flirted with the 400m, that gap is hard to ignore.
Despite having high quality 100 & 200 marks, Noah’s 400 time falls we’ll below others since he hasn’t run it since high school
Wont make predictions since its a season opener, but almost certain he’ll move up this combo sprinters list https://t.co/qGOC38vqyA pic.twitter.com/xaEv4qqSAu
— Anderson Emerole (@EmeroleAnderson) April 16, 2025
Emerole didn’t stop there. He pointed the spotlight toward Bolt. The most iconic sprinter of all time, whose 400m performances, though infrequent, hinted at untapped greatness. “Bolt likely could have run 43 with more training,” Emerole wrote. “But from ’09–’15 he only ran the 400m six times and all early season (Feb/Mar)… he just never ran the event in May–Aug when in good form.”
It’s a goosebump-worthy thought that the 8-time Olympic gold medalist, owner of the 9.58 and 19.19 world records, might’ve added a 43-second 400m to his otherworldly resume if only he’d leaned into it.
And then there’s Fred Kerley, the blueprint for a successful sprint transformation. A three-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist, Kerley famously switched from the 400m to the 100m and 200m in 2021, and the gamble paid off. He took silver in the 100m at Tokyo and won the world title the following year.
But his 400m roots are just as legendary. He ran a blistering 43.64 at the 2019 US Championships. So when Emerole compares Lyles’ 400m readiness to that of Kerley or Bolt, it’s clear the bar isn’t just high. It’s historic.
Noah Lyles sparks 400m frenzy with bold tease.
Noah Lyles stirred the pot once again when he teased a possible 400m debut during a candid episode of his podcast, Beyond the Records. Joined by Olympic 400m hurdler Rai Benjamin and 400m specialist Vernon Norwood, Lyles said, “It will come one day,” when asked if he’d ever step up to the full lap.
Norwood encouraged him to test it out at USAs, while Benjamin coolly estimated he could cruise through the opening 200m in “21.2 or 21.3.” Lyles’ quick-fire response. “Easy” only added fuel to a fire that had already begun raging across the internet.
Fans had mixed reactions. Some were buzzing with anticipation, eager to see if his electric top-end speed could stretch into the grueling 400m realm. Others, more skeptical, reminded him and everyone else that the 400m isn’t a casual leap from the 200m. It demands a different beast. Endurance, grit, and pain management!
When Lyles doubled down on X, tweeting, “Did a 400m workout yesterday, and I’m not going to lie… I think I need to run a 400 soon.” The comment section exploded with hot takes, hype, and heavy debate.
Norwood didn’t hold back either. On the podcast, he made it crystal clear. If Lyles wants in, he better come prepared. “If he gets named for a relay spot without proving himself, people will come for him,” Norwood warned. Lyles agreed, stating he’d only do it if he could go all in, “I don’t want to half-ass it.” Meanwhile, Rai Benjamin hinted that Lyles thrives under pressure, suggesting a relay might unlock his fiercest 400m form. Joke or not, that baton might be the very motivation Lyles needs to turn the talk into a full-on sprint showdown.
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