Noah Lyles was among the first ones to point out in an interview last month that track needs help, not saving! He had mentioned that, as athletes, they are very fortunate because track and field, despite being an Olympic amateur sport, has consistent track meets outside of the Olympic years. Today, Alexis Ohanian has voiced a similar optimism for track and field. Coincidentally, he was seated right beside Noah Lyles on a stage when he did. Well, it seems that their vision is coming to life. Here’s how…
“Not a dream! The Athlos league is gonna level up everything….” Alexis Ohanian has made some lofty promises for the sport’s future before. And, he also has a good reputation for living up to it, too. So this won’t be the first time he’s said something positive about track and field. But it’s special since he’s sounding almost sure. As though he has a plan in the works. Well, technically, he does: Athlos league. But is there something else coming beyond that? And how does this relate to Noah Lyles?
Well, on July 6, after the Prefontaine Classic wrapped up, an X user posted the image of Bowerman Mile’s photo finish moment between Yared Nuguse and Niels Laros. In case you didn’t know, Nuguse lost gold by a hundredth of a second. Yes, that’s how nail-bitingly close track and field can be. This led an X user to be shocked, “Sometimes it blows my mind that track isn’t the most popular sport in the world.” Well, that’s when Alexis Ohanian chimed in and sounded a bold promise, “It will be one of the most popular.” It’s almost like an affirmation like he knows something revolutionary is going to happen to track and field.
That’s not it. Under the same post, Ohanian added the link to his October 10, 2025, Athlos NYC event and said, “Come help me build the future!” Now it’s just about joining the dots. Here’s where his confidence is stemming from. In 2024, Athlos gave out $663,000 in prize money for this women-only track meet. For this year, Ohanian already promised in March 2025 that things are going to be grander than before. “We had a hell of a time last year. This year will be even better.” But there’s more to his promise for the sport and that’s where the Noah Lyles reference comes in.
It will be one of the most popular. https://t.co/mdLeLIJogp
— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) July 7, 2025
On July 7, Alexis Ohanian added an Instagram video of him speaking at the Stagwell Sports Beach Event. He was seated right next to Noah Lyles on the stage when he mirrored the same optimism for track and field’s future that he had in the aforementioned X comment. It looks like he is doubling down on the belief that the sport is looking at a major breakthrough in the coming times.
Alexis Ohanian praises Noah Lyles and track athletes
Ohanian’s Instagram video was both a praise and a ray of hope for track and field’s future. He wrote in the caption, “People always ask why Athlos started with women’s track & field. Easy: because the sport is already FULL of STARS. We’re starting here, but the future is wide open.” It was both a message of praise and a signal that his ambitions for supporting track and field may expand well beyond its current scope.
In the video, Ohanian further said, “Everyone always asks why does Athlos vote for women first, and the answer is frankly like, you know what, Noah you are the superstar of men’s track and field…..and the women of track and field just punch so far above their weight across the board.” He praised Noah Lyles while also circling back to how the women athletes that he has picked for Athlos League are the front runners in the sport.
Ohanian continued, “Stars like Sha’Carri, Gabby, Tara, all signing on to Athlos, like they’re the reason why we’ve had the success that we’ve had early on, but I think the sky’s the limit for the sport overall. We’re starting with the ladies first, but I’m very excited to see the sport continue to grow.” Ohanian’s words reflect not just admiration for Noah Lyles and others, but a deep investment in the future of track and field. It’s clear he’s not just watching the sport evolve, he’s actively involved. What do you think? Let us know above!
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