BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, February 02 — Was this track & field’s version of throwing down the gauntlet? Or was it simply free advertising by the sport’s biggest showman?
After winning his fourth straight 60 at the New Balance Indoor GP, Noah Lyles ripped his name bib off his back, flipped it over and held it in front of his face for the television cameras.
It read, “Tyreek Could Never.”
This was the latest salvo in the war of words between Lyles and Tyreek Hill, the Miami Dolphins wide receiver who proclaimed he could beat the Olympic and world champ.
Lyles begs to differ. He wrote the three words between the heats — when he clocked a season best 6.55 — and the final, where his 6.52 tied for fifth on the world list before a sellout crowd of about 4000 at the TRACK at New Balance.
“Tyreek could never win. Tyreek could never beat me. Tyreek could never hang,” Lyles said. “Hey, I just got to remind him. His season’s over. My season’s constantly going and I’ll make time for you, your schedule.”
What are the chances this projected match race could happen? “It’s pretty high,” said Lyles.
Hill’s response on X was an uninspired, “Get a load of this guy.”
Lyles expects the Boston race to be his last indoor meet. “I don’t really see a reason to keep going,” said the Paris gold medalist. “There’s a lot more track to be run later in the season.”
Lyles said he is “in talks” with Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam series. With byes for Worlds in the 100 and 200, he said Rai Benjamin “is trying to convince me to run the 400” at the U.S. Trials.
The Boston 60 was named for the late Ralph Mann, who was Lyles’ mechanics guru. After working with his foot and hip to “create a better and quicker start,” Lyles said, “I was able to put together a great start, a great acceleration and finish like Noah Lyles.”
First-year pro Terrence Jones was 2nd (6.57) and Pjai Austin 3rd (6.60).
Marcell Jacobs, the Tokyo Olympic 100 gold medalist, placed 4th in 6.63, edging ’16 world indoor champ Trayvon Bromell by 0.01.
Josh Hoey won a thrilling 1500 with a world-leading 3:33.66, tying for No. 5 on the U.S. all-time list — with Ethan Strand having run faster en route to his mile CR a day earlier at the Terrier Classic. Hoey held off double Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher (3:33.99), who showed he had some wheels in dropping down from his much longer specialties.
Hoey was still basking in his newly-minted American Record in the 1000, which also featured younger brother Jonah as pacesetter.
Developing the confidence to “stick at the front” paid off as Hoey lowered his PR, set outdoors, by more than 5 seconds. “I’d never really gone out very hard in a 1500 or a mile before,” he said. “It’s a new feeling.”
Three national records fell in the 3000: Andrew Coscoran of Ireland (7:30.75, No. 2 this season), Azzedine Habz of France (7:31.50) and Cameron Myers of Australia (7:33.12). American Hobbs Kessler ran a PR of 7:35.06 for 4th.
Grant Holloway extended his 11-year-old unbeaten streak in the 60H to 65 straight races (prelims and finals). After cruising to a “shaky” 7.47 heat to open his season, Holloway won the final in 7.42, the slowest of his four straight Beantown victories.
Holloway, who hopes to defend his world indoor title in China, said he has been leaning on his team for motivation. “I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to do in the sport,” he said. Now he is “just continuing to build a legacy.”
Benjamin, who also achieved his goal of Olympic gold in Paris in the 400H, ran the 300 as a bit of a lark. He had to dig deep to edge Vernon Norwood 32.21 to 32.39 — both PRs.
“The honest truth? I came here to do a podcast,” said Benjamin, who hosts “Beyond the Records” with Lyles and Holloway, “and my agent [meet director Mark Wetmore] was like, ‘Yo man, you might as well just run.’”
Benjamin called Norwood, who was originally slated to run the 400, and got him to switch events. Both had run the 300 in Boston before: Norwood winning in ’16 and Benjamin in ’19.
In the outside lane, Benjamin said he could hear Norwood, who was one lane over. “I was like, ‘OK, I gotta put my foot down a little bit,” he said.
Quincy Wilson won the 400, lowering his own World Youth (U18) and High School records to 45.66. Will Sumner, the ’23 NCAA 800 champ, had a strong finish as he returns from an injury-plagued year. He posted a PR of 46.27 while ’22 world indoor champ Jereem Richards of Trinidad settled for 3rd (46.49).
“Every time I come here I run a new national record, so I love the track,” said Wilson, who just turned 17. “I don’t want to lose, so I’ve just got to go out there and get them all.”
Reigning world indoor champ Bryce Hoppel allowed himself two peeks in the final meters of the 800, breaking the tape in 1:46.04 with Abe Alvarado 2nd at 1:46.55.
NEW BALANCE GP MEN’S RESULTS
(World Indoor Tour Gold)
60: 1. Noah Lyles (US) 6.52; 2. Terrence Jones (Bah) 6.57; 3. Pjai Austin (US) 6.60; 4. Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Ita) 6.63; 5. Trayvon Bromell (US) 6.64.
300: 1. Rai Benjamin (US) 32.21 (7, 9 A);
2. Vernon Norwood (US) 32.39 PR; 3. Matthew Boling (US) 32.82; 4. Jake Odey-Jordan (GB) 33.73.
400: 1. Quincy Wilson (MdHS) 45.66 HSR, WYR, AYR (old records 45.76 Wilson ’24);
2. Will Sumner (US) 46.27 PR; 3. Jereem Richards (Tri) 46.49; 4. Zakithi Nene (SA) 46.56.
800: 1. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:46.04; 2. Abraham Alvarado (US) 1:46.55; 3. Elvin Josué Canales (Spa) 1:46.60; 4. Ryan Clarke (Neth) 1:46.68; 5. Mark English (Ire) 1:46.82; 6. Pieter Sisk (Bel) 1:46.88.
1500: 1. Josh Hoey (US) 3:33.66 (=4, =5 A); 2. Grant Fisher (US) 3:33.99 (6, 8 A);
3. Olli Hoare (Aus) 3:34.91; 4. Thomas Keen (GB) 3:35.12 PR; 5. Graham Blanks (US) 3:36.11 PR; 6. Jochem Vermeulen (Bel) 3:36.17 NR; 7. Joe Waskom (US) 3:36.23 PR; 8. Kieran Lumb (Can) 3:38.57; 9. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:39.05.
3000: 1. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 7:30.75 NR; 2. Azeddine Habz (Fra) 7:31.50 NR; 3. Cameron Myers (Aus) 7:33.12 NR;
4. Hobbs Kessler (US) 7:35.06 (10, x A);
5. James West (GB) 7:37.13 PR; 6. Sam Gilman (US) 7:38.27 PR; 7. Neil Gourley (GB) 7:49.95; 8. Sam Prakel (US) 7:50.40 PR; 9. Luke Houser (US) 8:03.44 PR.
60H: 1. Grant Holloway (US) 7.42; 2. Freddie Crittenden (US) 7.54; 3. Cordell Tinch (US) 7.60; 4. Jamal Britt (US) 7.64;… dnf—Trey Cunningham (US).
HJ: 1. Vernon Turner (US) 7-2¼ (2.19); 2. Romaine Beckford (Jam) 7-2¼; 3. Luis Castro (PR) 7-2¼; 4. Dontavious Hill (US) 7-¼ (2.14).