Noah Lyles Hits 9.79 Seconds, Wins 100 Meters at 2026 USATF Outdoor Championships
Noah Lyles 9.79 seconds is back in the spotlight of the athletics world. The American Olympic champion won the men's 100-meter final at the 2026 USATF Outdoor Championships at Icahn Stadium, New York.
Lyles recorded a time of 9.79 seconds with a legal wind of +0.8 meters per second. This time matches his personal best (PB), achieved when he won the gold medal in the 100 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Beyond just a national title, 9.79 seconds also became the fastest time in the world for the 100 meters throughout the 2026 season as the race took place.
The final was held on Friday, July 24, 2026, local time, or already July 25 in Indonesia. This victory marks Lyles' third national title in the 100 meters for the United States.
Noah Lyles Wins 100 Meters at USATF 2026 with 9.79 Seconds
Lyles faced strong competition in the final, including Ronnie Baker, Kenny Bednarek, and former world champion Christian Coleman.
He wasn't initially in the lead after the start. However, Lyles' strength became evident in the latter part of the race. After trailing in the early phase, he closed the gap and surged ahead in the final 30 meters to secure the victory by a clear margin.
Here are the results of the men’s 100 meters final at the 2026 USATF Outdoor Championships:
| Position | Runner | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah Lyles | 9.79 seconds |
| 2 | Ronnie Baker | 9.88 seconds |
| 3 | Kenny Bednarek | 9.88 seconds |
| 4 | Christian Coleman | 9.93 seconds |
| 5 | Courtney Lindsey | 9.97 seconds |
| 6 | Brandon Hicklin | 10.00 seconds |
Baker and Bednarek both clocked 9.88 seconds. Baker secured second place, finishing just 0.005 seconds ahead of Bednarek.
9.79 Seconds Matches Noah Lyles' PB
The performance in New York feels even more significant because Noah Lyles 9.79 seconds is not just his season's best.
This time matches Lyles' personal best in the 100 meters, which he achieved in the Paris Olympics final on August 4, 2024, when his electronic timing reached 9.784 seconds, rounded to 9.79 seconds in the official results.
World Athletics still records 9.79 seconds as Lyles' official personal best for the 100 meters.
With his performance at the USATF 2026, Lyles proves that his speed as Olympic champion is not just a one-time achievement.
Previously Ran 9.76 Seconds in the Semifinal
Signs that Lyles was in very fast form emerged even before the final.
In the semifinal, he even crossed the finish line in 9.76 seconds. This time was faster than his PB.
However, this time could not be certified as a personal best due to wind speed at +2.1 meters per second, slightly exceeding the legal limit of +2.0 meters per second for record and official statistics.
Moments later, Lyles proved his speed without excessive wind assistance. He achieved 9.79 seconds in the final with a wind speed of +0.8 meters per second.
Thus, this final performance is valid as an official record.
Noah Lyles Registers World Lead in 100 Meters 2026
The victory in New York also propelled Lyles to the top of the world 100 meters performance list for the 2026 season at that time.
Previously, the world’s best record of the year was held by Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville, who clocked 9.82 seconds in Kingston. Lyles then trimmed it down to 9.79 seconds.
This achievement signals that Lyles remains one of the key figures in world sprinting two years after his dramatic victory in Paris.
Comparing USATF 2026 and the Paris 2024 Olympics
The figure of 9.79 now holds special meaning in Lyles' career.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he won the 100-meter final in a very tight race. Lyles clocked 9.784 seconds, while Jamaica's Kishane Thompson recorded 9.789 seconds.
The difference of just five thousandths of a second determined the gold medal.
Two years later, Lyles once again reached the same time in New York. The difference this time is that his victory at the USATF 2026 was achieved with a much more comfortable margin over his competitors.
| Event | Year | Lyles' Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Olympics | 2024 | 9.79 | Gold |
| USATF Outdoor Championships | 2026 | 9.79 | Champion |
This record showcases Lyles' ability to maintain elite performance in a distance that was not previously his main specialty.
Lyles is No Longer Just a 200-Meter Specialist
For years, Noah Lyles was more synonymous with the 200 meters.
He holds the American national record of 19.31 seconds in that event. World Athletics also records him as the holder of four consecutive world titles in the 200 meters after winning again in Tokyo in 2025 with a time of 19.52 seconds.
His success in Tokyo allowed Lyles to match Usain Bolt's achievement of four consecutive world titles in the 200 meters.
However, his development in the 100 meters has significantly changed his profile. After becoming the world champion in the 100 meters in 2023 and the Olympic champion in 2024, Lyles is now a national champion with a time of 9.79 seconds in 2026.
This means that his status as an elite runner is no longer limited to the 200 meters.
Brief Profile of Noah Lyles
- Full Name: Noah Lyles
- Date of Birth: July 18, 1997
- Country: United States
- Main Events: 100 meters and 200 meters
- PB 100 Meters: 9.79 seconds
- PB 200 Meters: 19.31 seconds
- Major Achievements: Olympic Champion 100 Meters Paris 2024
- 200 Meters Record: American National Record 19.31 seconds
World Athletics' official profile data lists Lyles as an Olympic champion and an eight-time world champion across various events.
What Does the 9.79 Seconds Record Mean for Noah Lyles?
The record of Noah Lyles 9.79 seconds at the 2026 USATF Outdoor Championships serves as one of the strongest indicators that the Olympic champion is still at the highest level of world sprinting.
More interestingly, 9.79 does not appear as a single performance. Previously, Lyles had also produced 9.76 seconds in the semifinal, though it could not be certified as a PB due to wind assistance slightly exceeding the limit.
These two performances within a single competition series indicate that his speed is around the best level of his career. World Athletics also confirms that the final result is a world lead at the time it was recorded.
Two years after winning Olympic gold in Paris, Lyles reached the same figure again: 9.79 seconds.
This time, it was not through a photo finish with a difference of five thousandths of a second, but through a convincing victory at the national championships of the United States.
And for his rivals, the message from New York is clear: Noah Lyles is still one of the fastest humans on the planet.
