NFL star Tyreek Hill’s anticipated race against Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles has been shelved—at least for now. What was supposed to be a showstopping sprint through New York’s Times Square never made it to the starting blocks.
Lyles, the reigning 100-meter world champion, told the New York Post that plans for the race were nearly complete before falling apart. Though he didn’t specify the cause, he cited “personal reasons” and other complications that derailed the event.
“We were deep into it. It was supposed to happen this weekend,” Lyles said. “We were going to shut down Times Square, fill it with billboards—it was going to be huge.”
The cancellation puts a pause on Hill’s brief return to track. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver recently reignited his sprinting ambitions by entering a Florida meet, where he clocked 10.15 seconds in the 100 meters—an impressive mark considering he hasn’t raced competitively since college. But Lyles, who captured Olympic gold in Paris last summer with a 9.79-second sprint, remains in a different league.
Hill had long teased a race with Lyles, often boasting about his track roots and elite football speed. The idea captured fans’ imaginations, blending two sports rarely seen on equal footing. But the difference in preparation, form, and racing focus made a true matchup more fantasy than reality.
With NFL training camps on the horizon, there’s little time left to revive the event before Hill returns to football. Any hope of a future race will likely be pushed to 2025, if interest survives that long.
The unrealized race highlights the difficulty of merging elite track and pro football, even when star athletes want it. Still, both Hill and Lyles remain dominant in their respective lanes. One outruns defenders on Sundays, the other chases history on the track.
For now, their race remains just an idea—one that never made it off the blocks.
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