“44.73 light work.” Was Fred Kerley throwing subtle shade at Noah Lyles, or just flexing after his 400m win? The comment came right after Lyles had boldly called himself the “benchmark” in sprinting, and Kerley’s performance at the Mt. SAC Relays made it clear he’s still got plenty of game. While Lyles has been positioning himself as the top dog in the sport, Kerley’s big win was a not-so-subtle reminder that he’s not backing down. And honestly, it might’ve been a little jab at Lyles, too—here’s why…
On April 19th, Fred Kerley returned to the 400m after a two-year break at the 65th Mt. SAC Relays. And he made a statement. The Paris Olympic bronze medalist crushed it with a winning time of 44.73 seconds, edging out Arizona State’s Jayden Davis with a dramatic final stretch. Kerley admitted it’ll take some time to fully get back to peak 400m form, but his performance was a clear sign that his muscle memory and determination are still very much intact. His personal best in the 400m event is 43.64, and while he is yet to dip under 44 seconds, could such an astounding victory be indicative that he isn’t too far from shattering his personal goal? He even hinted that we might see him run more 400m races in 2025. So, yeah, he’s back, and he’s not here to mess around. And he shared about his victory on the X.
44.73 light work
— Fred Kerley (@fkerley99) April 19, 2025
But here’s the kicker—Noah Lyles, also on April 19th, was running his own 400m at the same time. He lined up for his 400m debut at the Tom Jones Invitational and finished 5th in Heat 1 with a personal best of 45.87 seconds. While it was a solid performance for his first time in the 400m as a pro, it still didn’t measure up to Kerley’s 44.73 seconds. Lyles was up against some tough competition, with Jacory Patterson claiming first place in his heat with a time of 44.27 seconds. So, while Lyles showed potential, his result was far from the dominant performance that Kerley just laid down.
In the final at the Tom Jones Invitational, Lyles finished 14th with a time of 45.87 seconds, while Christopher Robinson took first in 44.15 seconds. At that point, Lyles held an impressive personal record, yet it remained far behind what the top runners accomplished. The Mt. SAC Relays results proved beyond doubt that Fred Kerley should be considered among the top 400m runners. Rivals and critics remain unconvinced about Noah Lyles being the top benchmark in sprinting. After Kerley ran the 400m event, the sprinting top position now becomes an open question. But how does this beef between these two athletes begin?
Noah Lyles claps back at Fred Kerley’s criticism with confidence
The competition between Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley has reached a higher level of rivalry. Fred Kerley expressed his intense criticism about Noah Lyles during his appearance on The Pivot podcast by saying Lyles was not on his level. Kerley continued his statement by instructing Lyles to examine the record book, “Go look at the record book, look who got more wins. I’m dealing with more of the stuff than he dealing with. I’m telling you, he not built like me.” Ouch. He stated this powerful remark, and soon afterward, Lyles made his reply.
Lyles, who was in recovery mode when he heard the clip, didn’t hold back on his own podcast, Beyond the Records, co-hosted with Team USA’s Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway. “While I was resting and recovering, I see this clip where Fred’s like, ‘He’s not built like me, he ain’t like me,’” Lyles said. But instead of taking the shot personally, he acknowledged their very different life experiences. “I never went through that,” Lyles said, referring to Kerley’s tough upbringing.
Through his interview, Noah Lyles openly revealed the physical obstacles he faced because of his asthma. Lyles emphasized how often he spent sleepless nights in hospitals worrying about breathlessness in the morning. Lyles pointed out. “I’m not built like you—and you’re not built like me. And I’m perfectly fine with that, ‘cause I got the Olympic gold.”
The response from Lyles went beyond his initial remarks. He recognized that the public discourse changed because of his 2023 World Championship victory, which made him the new champion while ousting Kerley from his championship title. In 2023, Lyles observed that discussions centered around proving superiority to himself. “Before 2023, conversations were ‘I want to be the best,’” Lyles said. “Now, every conversation is, ‘Yeah, I’m better than Noah. Yeah, I can beat Noah.’ I’m not even in the room! And yet, I’m living rent-free in people’s minds.” He further added, “I’ve become the benchmark. Like, if you don’t beat Noah, did you beat anybody?” Talk about putting a target on his back.
But here’s the twist: even with the back-and-forth, Lyles gave Kerley credit where it was due. “Running 9.76? Not easy to do,” Noah Lyles said, acknowledging Kerley’s impressive personal best in the 100m. “Those aren’t easy things.” Yet, he also made it clear that Kerley’s belief that he’s better only makes for better competition. “If he didn’t believe that, he’d be pretty boring to compete against,” Lyles quipped. Looks like this rivalry is only getting started, and it’s about to make the track even more electrifying.
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