Noah Lyles is considered the world’s fastest sprinter on the track; however, in the anime world, he is described as the world’s fastest anime fan.
Anime, he has said, is not just entertainment for him but a part of his identity, as he has always loved the Japanese-style animation while growing up. That inspired the new project he is involved in. Lyles recently partnered with Crunchyroll for a new anime-inspired capsule collection powered by Adidas.
Launched on September 18, 2025, while Lyles competed in Tokyo, the exclusive drop is “bold, dynamic, and rooted in the anime stories that have shaped Lyles’ journey as both an athlete and a fan,” according to this statement.
“It’s everything that I probably could want,” the track star told PEOPLE on the Crunchyroll floor at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York on October 9.
He shared how delighted he was to “create his own” items with the brand because “usually track athletes don’t really get merch of their own.”
Lyles had always dreamed of creating his own anime and becoming a manga artist despite ending up in sports. This project however allows him to reconnect with that passion.
“When I was a kid, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to actually make my own anime. I’m going to be a manga artist,’ and all this other stuff,” he recounted. “Things just turned out differently, but here, I’m still living out my dream.”
Lyles’ new clothing line fuses speed, story and style, he told PEOPLE. The collection, designed by Lyles and Crunchyroll, includes: Speedline Saga Tee, The Poster Tee, Crunch Mode Hoodie, and the Speedline Saga Hat.
“Anime has always been part of how I see the world,” he said in a statement. “When I’m on the track, I channel the same energy as the heroes I grew up watching. Their determination, their style, their fight to push beyond limits; this collab is my way of sharing that love with fans everywhere. We built something that’s fast, bold, and full of anime spirit.”
Lyles, the 2024 Olympic Champion at 100m, is a 6-time World Champion and the American record-holder at 200m. Last month, he won his fourth consecutive gold medal in the men’s 200-meter at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Despite being one of the most successful sprinters in history, Lyles’ love for anime has never left him after discovering it during a sleepover.
“I remember the day I went over to a sleepover with some of my best friends and we were starting to play Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi,” he recalled.
“They said, ‘If you stay up a little later tonight, because we’re going to stay up all night because it’s a sleepover, we’re going to watch the actual show on Toonami.’ ”
“It gets to like 1:00 a.m. at night, and we’re like, ‘Gosh, we’re so tired,’ ” the Olympic star recounted. “But then the show comes on. It’s one of the first episodes of the Cell games, and we’re like, ‘This is amazing!’ “
With his love for anime well-known, Lyles received numerous anime-themed gifts from fans, including figurines, blankets, and posters, after his races at the World Athletics Championships. He even needed additional suitcases to load them.
“I had so many freaking figurines. People were just gifting me Goku figurines and towels, blankets, pictures, a ton of stuff, and I was like, ‘I don’t have any more space, guys. Please stop sending me stuff.’ I appreciate it, but it’s too much,” he joked.
