Gout Gout vs Noah Lyles in the 150m less than two months after Kishane Thompson lowered the 32-year-old world record mark (14.97 seconds set by Linford Christie in 1994) – the hype heated the race track before the starting gun ever went off. But after it did, it was all Lyles as he soared to a new world record time. However, a technicality dimmed the shine of his achievement, as it came in an event World Athletics doesn’t recognise. For some fans, that was grounds for divided opinions.

The 28-year-old Olympic champion has run the distance many times in training, but this was the first ever time that the American had competed in the category. In the end, racing from lane seven, Lyles’ victory was impressive as he stopped the clock at 14.67. That shattered Thompson’s record of 14.92 even as one fan hit out at the event and the hype.

“That’s not a real record there is no such event in major athletics meet,” a user named Marcus Brown wrote.

Technically, they are right. World Athletics doesn’t recognise the 150m as an event when it comes to recording world records. Thus, any record set while in the specific race won’t ever be ratified, especially given the times already set. Usain Bolt clocked 14.35 on the 150m straight in 2009, while Lyles himself registered 14.41 in the same event in 2024.

The Olympian has also run 14.56 in 2023, 14.69 in 2019, and 14.77 in 2018. All of those times came on the 150m straight, and Lyles has constantly broken 14.70 while running the bend. This is, however, the first time he has competed on the 150m bend and thrived. Even then, Lyles was behind going into the bend with Simon Verherstraeten ahead.

However, by the time the group exited the bend, Lyles was flying. The American picked up the pace and effortlessly separated himself from the pack. Sinesipho Dambile tried to keep up and managed it for a short while, but the Olympic champion flew past him before the line. When he crossed the finish line, Lyles had shattered Thompson’s record, set in April, when he broke Great Britain’s Linford Christie’s time of 14.97.  

What’s more impressive, the American finished ahead of Dambile by one tenth of a second. Gout Gout, despite his poor start, came in third as he set a new U20 record with 14.96 seconds. Even then, and despite multiple news pieces lauding the achievement, the record has divided opinions between fans.

Noah Lyles’ 150m record at Ostrava divides opinions

“Marcus Brown is correct.  World Athletics doesn’t maintain a ALL TIME 150m top list.   (Only a 2026 season top list for the 150).  Skips from 100 to 200 WR,” one fan wrote.

They are, once again, technically correct. A quick glance at World Athletics’ official website shows no all-time 150m top list. They do have a season top list for 2026, and Noah Lyles, Dambile, and Gout all made the top four thanks to their performances. Kishane Thompson and Tapiwanashe Makarawu make up the other two in the top four, with the latter tied for fourth with Gout.

Wikipedia does, however, maintain a 150m all-time list and has compiled all the times into a single table. That includes a 150m straight, 150m bend or times set while running a longer distance. Since Lyles already has a record on the list (14.41 on the straight), his time in Ostrava didn’t make the cut.

Another user agreed with Brown, even if they disagreed with his entire statement, “He’s right though. It’s neither an Olympic or a WC event but it’s definitely a real event and record.”

The 150m has never appeared at the Olympics or World Championships, and athletes rarely contest this event. The first major race was in 1997, when two Olympic champions, Michael Johnson and Donovan Bailey, battled for a $1 million prize. However, in modern history, the Manchester City Games and a few Adidas events have made the 150 more popular.

Not everyone agreed with Brown, as another user wrote, “Basic track and field knowledge” which came with a screenshot of a World Athletics article. The headline, in the screenshot, talked about Lyles’ “smashes world 150m best” which they believed essentially made Brown’s point moot. They weren’t the only ones on the other side of the argument as one user believed that Brown’s comment hurt other disciplines.

“Are you gonna say that for all the off distance races like the 1K or 3K or 1 Mile? Please stop the hate,” the user said on X.

Despite the divided opinion, Noah Lyles didn’t really seem to care and instead was only focused on his performance.

“It was about time,” Lyles said as per the World Athletics. “This feeling (to become the fastest in the world), it’s nothing new. It’s very hard to get used to running from a staggered 150 start. We do it in practice, but that’s without blocks. But all in all, I think that it was really good.” 

Whether fans view it as a world record or simply the fastest 150m bend ever, Lyles left Ostrava with the victory and the time. Even then, the debate over the legitimacy of the mark is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.