How 100 metre Olympic champion Noah Lyles prepares for a big race

“I love introductions before the race when the energy is turned up to 12 and you engage with the crowd. I demand energy out of the crowd, to get out of the seat. You came for a show, so all that compressed energy will bring the big explosion when the gun goes off.”

He singles out a different frequency listening to Travis and Kanye. “So the music is great of course. But I listen to only Live performances, which involves the audience and how crowds react,” Lyles says. The cue to get the crowd going is when the singers ask, “Are you having a good time?”

Noah Lyles, of the United States celebrates winning the gold medal in the men’s 100-meters final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Lyles also curates silences before his races. “Everything in the build-up is pre-planned. Who I’m eating with, listening to, allowing into my space the whole day before,” he says. Ahead of the main race, it’s his coach solely in his ears, after his practice blocks starts. “He tells me things like ‘I want you to get nasty in the first 10 metres,’ or ‘put on a show like never before’ or ‘don’t change a thing about your block start.'”

Sometimes, there’s more than geeing up — real technical pointers. “Like your arm swing could go more aggressive.”

He also connects with the real God above. “I always pray for no injuries. To nobody else too. I pray that I can run to the best of my ability and others too, cause injury is no fun. And I pray I win,” he smiles.

Lyles trains in the off-season for dealing with panic too. “I can panic in the smaller races, can’t afford to, in the big ones,” he laughs.

It’s the opposite spectrum of narcissism when not many are watching — absolute humility. So he trained with French sprinter Meba Mickael Zeze specifically.

“You train with people who have better gifts than you. Zeze’s reaction time is outstanding. I saw him and thought goodness, gracious, how will I ever get my starts to be so good. But after training, I got closer and closer to his levels. So I teach myself not to panic by being the underdog in smaller meets, and panicking there. The big race can’t be the first time I’m panicking,” he says.

Ahead of Paris 100 gold (9.79s), the coach had told him, “If you have to be Noah Lyles, be the best Noah. I thought, there isn’t a better Noah Lyles than me,” he shrugs.

Aggressive pullback

In the first 10 metres, he remembers an open stride, aggressive pullback and “not pushing off the track.”

From 10 to 20, it was pumping the arms to build acceleration. After 30m, Lyles explains the textbook transition phase where sprinters stand up and run tall and steady with no jerks to strike upright position.

From 50 to 60, the feet come into play, Lyles explains. “Like jack hammering nails into the ground. Put the force in, so the other foot bounces. From 70 to 95, you maintain speed. And the finish is where many mess up,” he declares triumphantly. Cause he didn’t mess up, though Kishane Thompson lost on a photo finish by five thousandths of a second.

Lyles has almost boring advice for finishes. “People think they have to do something more, extra. Do.not.do.anything.you.are.not.used.to,” he enunciates slowly, adding that sprinters should back their race plans. “Who you are, is enough.”

How did it feel? “Extreme confidence, acceleration, shock, excitement, disbelief. And relief.”

Relieved to be first American to win the 100 since 2004? “Naah, didn’t know about it until someone told me.”

Would he attempt a 42.195km Marathon? “Sprinters are gifted with fast twitch fibres. Just why would I??” he jokes. “It’s like asking a hare to race with a snake. But you know who’d win!”

Noah Lyles, of course.