By Anderson Emerole
August 21, 2024
On Saturday night, NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson hosted Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles on their “Nightcap” podcast for a wide-ranging conversation. One of the bits that has drawn the most attention over the last few days was when Lyles was asked what he could run in an open 400m, and he said that with multiple years of dedicated training, he could attack the world record over one lap. It’s a bold claim, but there could be some merit to his self-belief.
What Noah Lyles Actually Said
- He didn’t say he could break the world record right now. He didn’t say he could do so in a one-off race somewhere. What he said, verbatim, is, “If I decide to move to the 400m, and truly give it my 100% for multiple years, I’m going after the world record.”
- In the full context of the conversation, his prediction isn’t exactly as absurd or outlandish as some make it out to be, but it’s still unlikely (to be fair, it’s unlikely that anyone can touch 43.03 anytime soon).
Lyles’s 400m Career To This Point
- The last time Lyles ran an open 400m was in 2016, when he was a senior in high school. His PB of 47.04 was a very respectable time for an 18-year-old that was more inclined to the shorter distances, but it just highlights how little we know about his true capabilities over the one-lap distance.
- He has run a handful of 4x400m races since his last appearance in the open 400m, but they have come infrequently. His fastest split is most likely an unconfirmed 45.5-45.6 from the 2018 Florida Relays, while his most notable race was for the silver medal-winning U.S. squad at the World Indoors in Glasgow in March, where he split 45.68.
- He hasn’t provided the most impressive display of 400m prowess in what little he’s shown, but there is some precedent when looking at other 100m/200m sprinters running well in the 400m.
The Case For Lyles To Be A Great 400m Runner
- There have been instances throughout history of athletes that are more known as short sprinters being able to produce solid times over the longer distance. Mike Marsh, the 1992 Olympic champion over 200m and current Team USA relay coach, has only five 400m results on his World Athletics page, with one being a 45.08 second clocking from 1997.
- A more recent example would be Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic. Ogando has made each of the last three global finals in the 200m, but also has a 400m PB of 44.68 and has been a staple on Dominican relay teams over the last few years. Letsile Tebogo also falls into this camp, but it feels like he is a special case in this conversation.
- The best comparison for Lyles and the best indicator of what he might have in store for the 400m is actually Tyson Gay. In 2010, coming off a string of incredibly fast seasons, Gay opened his year with a 44.89 second 400m at the Tom Jones Invitational. This is exactly the kind of low stakes, early season meet that Lyles could enter next spring to lend some legitimacy to both these claims and his 4x400m aspirations. Lyles has also been on an incredibly successful run the last few years, and he will be the same age Gay was when he ran his 44.89 (27) in the early stages of next year.
Anderson Emerole
Anderson Emerole is an analyst and contributor to CITIUS MAG. He runs The Final Leg, a YouTube channel with up-to-date commentary on track and field news.
