Noah Lyles already has a bye to the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, so technically, he didn’t even need to show up at the 2025 USATF Nationals. But still, on July 31, he stepped onto the track at Hayward Field and lined up for the men’s 100m. And yeah—he won. But it wasn’t a walk in the park. His 10.05-second finish doesn’t tell the full story, especially since Ronnie Bakar was right on his heels, just 0.02 seconds behind. Was it a wake-up call for Lyles? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, after that heat, he made it clear—he’s not running the rest of the rounds in the 100m. He’ll be back for the 200m, though. So why bother running the 100m heat at all? That’s the real question.

In his post-race interview, Noah Lyles cleared it up. “I just need as many races as possible,” he said. “After the 100 in London, me and my coach were like, I mean, we might as well. You know, it’s a free race, it’s good competition, you might as well take it.” For those who missed it, two weeks earlier, Lyles ran the 100m at the London Diamond League.

That was his first 100m of the season, and he was coming off an injury. He didn’t win either—Oblique Seville beat him by 0.14 seconds. But that race meant a lot for Lyles. It was a test of fitness and sharpness. And now, it seems like he’s treating every race as part of that final tune-up before Tokyo. Let’s see what our resident track and field YouTube expert had to say.

On July 31, Coach Rob broke it all down on his podcast—the real reason behind Noah Lyles jumping into that 100m heat at the USATF Nationals. “He [Noah] did run the first round, and he won it to remind us why he had the title of the world’s fastest man,” Rob said. “He was out there probably to work on things and, you know, get things sharp because he hasn’t raced much this year.”  And he’s not wrong.  That was only Noah’s second 100m and just his fifth outdoor race of the entire season. Out of those five, he’s only won two individual races. Meanwhile, other sprinters are out here clocking world-leading times way faster than what Noah’s been putting up. So yeah, it makes sense. He needs the reps. He needs to get sharper. But that’s not the only reason he stepped on the line. There’s another layer to it.

Let’s talk about the quality of competition. In that USATF Nationals heat, Noah didn’t just cruise past anyone—he beat Ronnie Baker, the former USA Indoor champ, and his own adidas training partner, Jordan Anthony. These guys have been buzzing in track circles lately, so lining up against them wasn’t some low-stakes jog. For Lyles, Day 1 at Nationals turned into the perfect warm-up run. And honestly, that was probably the plan all along. But there might’ve been something else pushing him too.

Noah Lyles earns praise from the track and field coach 

Before his outdoor season even kicked off, Noah Lyles was making waves—not on the track, but in interviews, calling out the system. On Cam Newton’s podcast, he didn’t hold back: “Track and field as a sport is amateur. I’m a contractor,” he said. And that wasn’t just some offhand comment. Lyles has been on a mission to shake the table. Coach Rob, who’s seen it all, nodded along during his own podcast. “Noah Lyles tried to tell us… there is an issue in the sport, and I agree with him.” Rob said. The issue? Athletes are boxed into a structure that only values two things: the Olympics and the World Championships. Everything else—no matter how competitive or intense—barely moves the needle.

Rob’s take was sharp: “The only thing that exists is the Worlds and the Olympics. That’s it.” And he’s right. Sponsorships, contracts, TV deals—they all orbit those global events. Even the US Nationals, which should feel massive, end up as just a pit stop. A stepping stone. A checkbox. Rob calls it what it is: “a flawed system.” Nothing like the NFL or NBA where athletes build legacies week after week.

So when Noah, who already has a bye to Tokyo, still lines up for the 100m heat at Nationals—what is that? Just a tune-up? Or is it a message? Maybe it’s both. Maybe it’s Noah replying to all of it with action. Showing up, putting on a show, beating big names, and then dipping out—his way of saying, if this system won’t fix itself, I’ll keep making noise until it does.