Noah Lyles wins the 150m at the Atlanta City Games (© Kevin Morris / Atlanta Track Club)
Against a backdrop of gigantic Olympic rings, Noah Lyles, Aleia Hobbs and Grant Holloway helped to usher in a new era of speed in Atlanta on Saturday (6).
Each surged to victory in the adidas Atlanta City Games on a temporary, elevated straightaway built in Centennial Olympic Park.
Lyles, the two-time world 200m champion, ran a PB of 14.56 in the men’s 150m, the meeting’s culminating event. He chopped 0.13 off his best from 2019 while fending off rivals Erriyon Knighton (14.85) and Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya (14.89), who set an area and national record.
Lyles wasn’t in top form in his first 10 metres, but accelerated well. “I was getting to the end of that track,” he said, “and I was like, ‘Well, I’m running out of gas, but I’m going to make sure I get through this line fast.’”
The Olympic bronze medallist did, snatching the tape in his hand. Although Lyles posted the third-fastest time in history, he had hoped to come closer to Usain Bolt’s world best of 14.35 from 2009 in Birmingham. Tyson Gay ran 14.41 en route to a time of 19.41 over 200m in 2010 in Manchester.
“But it’s all right,” Lyles said. “It’s a PR, it’s a step forward. I did do what I wanted to do, though, which was go 100% from the get-go, command the race by 70 metres and run away with it.”
Last year Lyles broke the long-standing US record in the 200m that was set by Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. While Johnson was known for his golden shoes, Lyles led a Fashion Walk into the meeting, which was held in a festival atmosphere. The meeting was previously held in Boston.
Lyles was pleased to hear his preferred 'intro song' — “Runnin” by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin — and bounded down the track to the cheers of the crowd before the race. Did that sap some of his energy?
“Not that I know of,” Lyles said. “I was born with all this energy; I’m going to use it.”
Omanyala was well-rested after running a wind-aided 9.78 in a 100m in Botswana late last month. He had the support of a large cheering section wearing Team Kenya apparel. “I promise you a very fabulous year this year,” he said.
Hobbs dipped under 11 seconds twice on the bright blue track, clocking 10.99 in the final of the women’s 100m after going 10.93 in the heats. Her season's best is 10.86.
Hobbs said she wasn’t tempted to run the 150m because it is “a little too long for me,” but in the 100m final she needed every bit of the track to edge her training partner Mikiah Brisco (11.02).
“She had an amazing start,” Hobbs said. “I was happy that we were side by side, but I kind of make the difference toward the end.”
The US indoor 60m record-holder said the track, which was 2m above the brick surface of the park at its highest point, was springy. “It actually helps us get the extra bounce to get down the track fast,” Hobbs said.
Holloway, the two-time world champion, ran a world-leading 13.01 in the 110m hurdles, thrusting his fist into the air at the finish line. But Holloway was even more ecstatic when he saw that his training partner Robert Dunning set a PB of 13.09, slicing 0.14 off his previous best from 15 April.
“I’m more excited for Rob than he probably is for himself,” said Holloway. “Rob really bought into my crazy self, doing the extra reps, coming to practice when we don’t need to come to practice, just continuing to buy in and it’s finally started to show.”
Dunning was performing in front of his hometown crowd, but he said Holloway “is my biggest fan. He pushes me every day. He yells at me every day just to get me motivated.”
Busy day on the straightaway
Another hurdler also gave the hometown crowd a thrill. Tia Jones, the 2018 U20 world champion who turned pro after high school, upset US record-holder Keni Harrison in the final of the 100m hurdles after Harrison edged her in the heats. Jones said she could hear her mother screaming after the race, “My baby!”
Jones clocked 12.50 in the final to Harrison’s 12.53, while Harrison had a 12.44 to 12.46 advantage in their first race. Harrison, the Olympic and world silver medallist, is now tied with Jones, who ran 12.44 at the Drake Relays, for second on the 2023 world top list.
“My main focus was to get over clean, because in the prelims I was kind of hitting them and it felt like a tug-of-war race,” said Jones. “My main focus for the rest of the season is just to stay clean.”
She added: “Just keep your eye out on me.” Her competitors, Jones said, are “asleep. Let them stay asleep.”
World heptathlon bronze medallist Anna Hall recorded a personal best of 12.90 in the 100m hurdles heats, followed by 12.95 in the final.
“I think this is the best hurdle workout I could possibly do,” Hall said. “It’s a fun way to train in public and my final tuneup before my first heptathlon in two weeks.”
In the men’s 100m, Oblique Seville was limping with a foot injury after surging to a 9.99 win in the final. The Jamaican nipped Akani Simbine of South Africa and Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain, who were both credited with 10.01 although Simbine was 0.005 faster.
The women’s 150m featured PBs from the top three finishers. Tamari Davis hit the tape at 16.44, followed by Daryll Neita (16.48) and Gabby Thomas (16.50), who was returning to the city where she was born and raised. Shaunae Miller-Uibo has the world best of 16.23 from 2018 in Boston.
Davis, who lately has been more of a 100m specialist, said she is trying to get back into the 200m, and has a best of 22.31 from last month. This was her first 150m.
“I was just trying to clear my head and focus like it’s a 100,” Davis said. “And I got out and I knew the field I was racing was definitely some great talent, so just tried to stay in my lane and run to the end.”
Thomas, the Olympic bronze medallist in the 200m, was coming off a sizzling 49.68 in the 400m a week earlier in Texas.
She said she ran out of room in the 150m and will go back to and do more speed work. “Those girls were moving, so it was really good to get some competition and see where I fall right now,” Thomas said.
On the roads and on the grass
Fresh off her Penn Relays win in the 600m, US record-holder Ajee’ Wilson made it two in a row. She clocked 1:27.00 with Natoya Goule of Jamaica second in 1:28.18.
“Definitely having done the 600m last weekend let me know that I was fit,” said Wilson, a two-time world bronze medalist in the 800m.
She tried to steer clear of the jostling near the end of the race, with runners leaving the streets of Atlanta to finish on the elevated track. For the 600m races and the miles, the runners ran toward the sculpture of the Olympic rings, which are about 3m high and 7m wide.
“It’s super beautiful,” Wilson said, “and it’s definitely aspirational. I want to medal in major championships, so I’m excited.”
The day was one of firsts for Bryce Hoppel, who won the men’s 600m in 1:17.13. He was followed by Kameron Jones (1:17.43).
“I was a little nervous,” said the world indoor 800m bronze medallist. “There were tight turns and I had never run on the roads before, and I had never run a 600m before. So it was fun to come out here and kind of learn it. It couldn’t have gone any better and I’m happy.”
Sam Prakel followed his USATF 1 Mile Road Championships title with another victory, crossing the finish line in 4:03.40 while holding off Hobbs Kessler (4:03.64) and Eric Avila (4:03.92).
“You can really get caught up in training, and you need a couple of fun races to split that up,” Prakel said.
Taryn Rawlings won the women’s mile in 4:40.11, followed by Anna Camp Bennett with a PB of 4:43.11 and hometown favorite Allie Wilson in 4:43.19.
The only field events were the pole vault competitions. Austin Miller took the tightly-contested men’s event, defeating compatriots Jacob Wooten and two-time world champion Sam Kendricks. All cleared 5.71m.
Emily Grove posted a season's best of 4.56m to win the women’s pole vault, with Rachel Baxter second and Anicka Newell of Canada third — both at 4.46m. They were cheered on by Atlanta resident Katie Moon, who flew back from Doha after winning the Diamond League meeting.
Karen Rosen for World Athletics
