Track speed is different, yet many think that because they’re fast in general they’re “track speed” fast. That’s especially true for professional athletes in other sports.
Many NFL players are former track athletes and have great speed, but compared to professional track athletes, the difference in speed is glaring.
Fans witnessed the difference a few years ago when Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf was invited to run in a 100m race featuring pro sprinters. It was a courageous move by Metcalf to both accept and get on the track to compete, but in the end the outcome was what was expected.
He finished in a respectable 10.36 seconds but came in last behind sprinters running 9.9, which ended the debate about speed vs track speed.
Or so we thought.
After the 2024 Paris Games where Noah Lyles took home 100m gold in a thrilling come-from-behind race, earning the “World’s Fastest Man” title, there was banter between Lyles and Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill over who could beat who in a race.
While most dismissed it, those two did not, and now it appears that a race between the two might on be on the horizon.
Last week, the two jointly said they’re ready to race but don’t have a date or location yet. But it has to be before July when Lyles heads to the U.S. Championships.
We know this will be a highly anticipated event, so we’ll keep you posted as to when a date and place are finalized.
