Fact Check: Was Noah Lyles barely able to beat IShowSpeed in the $100k race? Debunking the viral claim 

Noah Lyles and streamer IShowSpeed recently competed in a one-on-one challenge for $100k over the 50m. While the U.S. sprinter won, Speed claimed the race was tied with several social media users arguing that Lyles had barely beaten the YouTuber.

Speed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., was live on his YouTube stream on Wednesday when he challenged Lyles for a race. He received a FaceTime call from YouTuber Mr. Beast, who was with the Olympic champion.

"I need to prove the world I'm the fastest man alive, bro, and I need to race you, so me and you need to race," he told Lyles.

While Speed was in Miami at the time, he drove to Lyles' Florida training base for the race, where the two decided to compete over 50m. MrBeast, whose real name is James Donaldson, fired the starting gun and both were off neck-to-neck with Speed slightly ahead in the first few meters.

Lyles pulled away after the 25m and started mocking the streamer's running form, jumping and dancing in the last 10m before crossing the finish line first. Despite that, the 27-year-old was nearly a stride ahead of Speed at the time of crossing the finish line but the latter argued that it was a tie and demanded a rematch.

Several users on social media also argued that the race was close and the 100m Olympic champion was barely able to beat the streamer.

However, there was at least a difference of 0.10s in the times of the two. We compared the 'Noah Lyles vs IShowSpeed race to 'Mondo Duplantis vs Karsten Warholm' which took place in September and the two witnessed similar finishes. Duplantis won the race in 10.37s and was a step ahead of Warhom, who finished in 10.47s, at the time of crossing the finish line. Lyles and Speed were in a similar position.

Comparison of Noah Lyles vs IShowSpeed race with Mondo Duplantis vs Karsten Warhom clash (Image via Redbull and Noah Lyles' YouTube)

The 0.10s is a huge time difference in a 100m race, let alone a 50m. During the men's 100m final at the Paris Olympics, the sprinter 0.10s behind the American finished in last place.

Lyles also showboated heavily in the last stretch, which made him slow down, making the race seem slightly closer. And of course, he wasn't taking it seriously.

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Gabby Thomas weighs in on how close Noah Lyles vs IShowSpeed race was

The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Gabby Thomas in action (Source: Getty)

Gabby Thomas recently showed support for Noah Lyles and denied claims that the Olympic champion's race against YouTuber IShowSpeed was close. Thomas wrote on X:

"This wasn’t close…like at all 😂"

While Thomas won three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay, Lyles won the gold in men's 100m and bronze in 200m.