All About Noah Lyles’ Brother (and Fellow Track Star!) Josephus Lyles

Noah Lyles, an American sprinter and Olympic medalist, is often in the spotlight for his athletic achievements. However, his younger brother, Josephus Lyles, is also an accomplished athlete and sprinter.

Before graduating high school, Josephus had already won his first gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2014 IAAF World U20 Championships and took home silver and bronze medals in the 400m and 200m races at the 2015 World Youth Championships. In 2022, he won a bronze medal in the 200 meters at the NACAC Championships in Freeport, where he set a new personal best of 19.93 seconds, placing him in the top 100 all-time for the event.

Josip and Noah’s strong bond and talent on the track have made them one to watch in the sport for nearly a decade. The brothers signed eight-year deals with Adidas in 2016, just weeks before they were expected to begin classes at the University of Florida. Their decision was mutual, and Josephus emphasized the importance of their relationship: “It’s pretty amazing to have someone who will always have your back, who you can always rely on,” the athlete told The Washington Post 2016. “It makes so much more sense that we can do this together.”

While their close age and shared passion for athletics give way to overlapping similarities, Josephus has his own set of interests and accomplishments on and off the track.

Here’s everything you need to know about Noah Lyles’ brother, sprinter Josephus Lyles.

Josip Flavije and Noah are barely a year apart

Josephus and Noah Lyles in August 2022.

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Josip Flavije and Noah were born exactly 369 days apart. Noa was born on July 18, 1997, while Josip Flavije arrived on July 22, 1998.

The brothers were raised by dad Kevin Lyles and mom Keisha Caine Bishop, both former track and field stars. Their close age and track-oriented upbringing led to a mutual strengthening of interest in sports.

“Me, my brother and dad just talked about track, numbers, people, records, everything [that] things [for like] eight hour drive,” Noah said at Journey to the golden zone podcast in March 2024. “It’s fun. You have to have someone to always talk to about it”.

He is gifted in mathematics and is a “student” of sports

Noah and Josephus Lyles.

Josephus Lyles/Instagram

While Noah is open about his foreign passion for art, Josephus leans more towards the analytical side of the brain. He studied mathematics in the third grade when he was 6 years old, per The Washington Postand studied racing times and techniques closely to better understand the sport.

“My mom always says that when we were younger at school, I was always great at school. I was very intelligent and I accepted the traditional teaching well,” Josephus said in a March 2023 interview with Olympics.com.

In an interview with NBC that same month, Josephus said that he was “a student of the sport” and that “[studies] all.”

“Any good runner, I’ve probably watched their races.”

The first time he ran the course, he “hated” it

Josephus Lyles in May 2015.

John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty

Josephus first tried his hand at athletics in elementary school, running the 400 and 800 meter events. However, he found the experience draining and quickly decided he “hated it,” the athlete told NBC.

“I didn’t enjoy it at all, so I stopped running around fifth or sixth grade.”

However, in the eighth grade he tried again, this time under the influence of his friends who joined the team. The decision ultimately reawakened his passion for the sport and he began to excel, finding joy in training and competing.

“I just started loving it. I don’t know what it was. … But I remember falling in love with it and succeeding. I started to love the training aspect and the grind.”

Josip’s and Noah’s mom say that everyone shows their “personality” in the way they run

Josephus and Noah Lyles in August 2020.

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Keisha, a former athlete, often notices how her sons show their personalities through their running styles. Noah, known for his creativity and talent, contrasts with Josip’s direct and decisive approach.

“If you know what you’re looking for, you can see their personalities in the way they run,” Keisha said The Washington Post in 2016. “Noah is creative, but he’s cautious. Josephus, he just says, ‘I’ll do my best and catch me if you can.’ ”

Other industry experts also noted the brothers’ individuality and how they are both prominent stars, separately.

“These are two very different, different people,” University of Florida track and field coach Mike Holloway said The Washington Post. “I recruited Noah and I recruited Josip. I didn’t recruit brothers together.”

He says medals are not important

Josephus and Noah Lyles in October 2022.

Josephus Lyles/Instagram

When Josephus and Noah set the high school track on fire, medals and awards came with their burgeoning careers. While most athletes cherish memories of their accomplishments, Josephus said The Washington Post that physical rewards are not what motivates them.

“For us, it’s more about the record or the time,” said the athlete. “We don’t need a medal to know that we did well. That’s not what pushes us.”

Ultimately, intangible gains are what Joseph and his brother value most.

In 2022, Josephus and Noah were inducted into their high school’s Hall of Fame.

“Very honored,” Josephus wrote on Instagram. “This school and community has done so much for our family.”

Josephus and Noah turned pro in 2016

Josephus and Noah Lyles at Adidas Boost Boston Games World Athletics Continental Tour event in May 2021.

Adam Glanzman/Getty

In 2016, both Josephus and Noah made the bold decision to turn pro just weeks before they were set to start school at the University of Florida. By signing eight-year contracts with Adidas, the brothers became the first male sprinters to turn professional straight out of high school. Josephus signed a contract on his 18th birthday, marking the start of his professional career.

“We are extremely excited,” Josephus said The Washington Post in 2016. “Just to be able to go this far in our athletic careers at such a young age — very few people ever graduate from high school as a professional. It’s a blessing.”

One of the conditions for turning professional was that both brothers sign a contract with the same sponsor, and that whatever path they choose after high school, they go down it together.

“We discussed it and we agreed early on that either we both go pro or we both go to college. We will not part,” said Josephus The Washington Post 2016. “So this was a mutual decision.”

The brothers eventually decided to forgo college altogether, but while they were still in the recruiting process, Josephus, Noah and Keisha devised a 30-point questionnaire to evaluate each college coach who approached them, ultimately gauging how well a school would fit the needs of both brothers . There were also automatic disqualifiers, such as mispronouncing Joseph (Jo-SEE-fis), po The Washington Post.

Noah was emotional when Josip Flavije did not make it to the 2020 Olympics

Josephus and Noah Lyles in June 2022.

Steph Chambers/Getty

The 2019 World Championships in Doha was a bittersweet moment for the Lyles family. While Noah excelled and made the USA team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Josephus did not, a disappointment that hit him deeply. Noah was emotional about his brother’s absence, emphasizing the close relationship they share.

“I wanted to do this together. And it’s taken us so far, and I just think it should be here,” Noah told TIME in 2021.

Josip Flavije says that he is grateful for the difficulties that taught him valuable lessons

Josephus Lyles in July 2022.

Steph Chambers/Getty

Josip’s journey was not without challenges. He has dealt with injuries and setbacks, including a significant quad injury just before turning pro. However, adversity taught him resilience and patience, shaping his outlook on life and competition.

“I know that whatever knocks me down, I can get back up. I can come back after that,” Josephus told NBC 2023.

While his brother was at the 2019 World Cup, the separation hit both of them hard. For Josip, he said that the experience actually taught him a lot about perspective and acceptance.

“At one point I felt like I deserved to be there because I put in all the effort,” the athlete told NBC. “I had to change my mentality to ‘I don’t deserve anything.’ Once I started thinking like that, it was a burden off my shoulders. I didn’t compete to prove myself. I didn’t need to show the world that I could run fast. I just decided to focus on running fast because I enjoy it.”

He says Noah taught him how to stand up for himself

Josephus and Noah Lyles in July 2022.

Steph Chambers/Getty

Noah had a significant influence on Josephus, especially teaching him the importance of self-representation. Josephus told NBC that he admires Noah’s determination to get what he needs to succeed, whether it’s training resources or the support of their team.

“Noah is very good at listening to what he needs and making it happen,” he said. “Many athletes will need something and won’t ask for it, thinking it’s not a reasonable request, but it doesn’t matter to Noah. Seeing that is inspiring and definitely allowed me to have the same mentality and respect myself enough to say this is what I need.”

The athlete added that it made him realize that although sprinting is an individual sport, “it’s not just one person.”

“A lot of people are coming together to make that dream a reality,” he said.

Josip Flavije and Noa started their own non-profit organization to help other athletes achieve their goals

Josephus and Noah Lyles in August 2020.

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Driven by a desire to give back, Josephus and Noah founded the non-profit organization The Lyles Foundation in 2020 with the goal of helping young athletes achieve their dreams. Their non-profit organization is focused on providing training, mentoring and financial assistance to help the next generation of athletes reach their full potential.

“We know there’s a bunch of kids and young people who are striving to achieve what me and my brother did and they just don’t have the resources,” Noah told Sky Sports in October 2023. “We always knew we wanted to give back to those communities, try to find those young people who can reach the top and give our insight, whether it’s mental health, nutrition or even physical behavior – getting them into sports, introducing them to the right people.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education