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What to know for this weekend's men's, women's Little 500 races

jim gordillo, the herald-times
·5 min read

The Little 500 makes its annual return this weekend. Here's what you need to know to experience what's known as the "World's Greatest College Weekend":

When and where are the Little 500 races?

The 35th running of the women's Little 500 and the 72nd running of the men's Little 500 will take place at Indiana University's Bill Armstrong Stadium, which is also the home of the Hoosier soccer teams.

The women's race will be at 4 p.m. on Friday; the men's race is Saturday at 2 p.m.

The men will circle the 1/4-mile cinder track 200 times to cover 50 miles while the women will do 100 laps for 25 miles. Each team can have up to four riders.

The winning team for each race earns recognition on a miniature version of the Borg-Warner Trophy awarded at the Indianapolis 500. The defending champs are Melanzana (women) and Phi Delta Theta (men).

2022 women's: Bloomington North grad Grace Williams leads Melanzana Cycling to women's Little 500 title

2022 men's: Phi Delta Theta avenges 2021 crash, claims first Little 500 title since 2001

How to attend the races

Tickets: $35 to the general public in advance or $45 day of the race at the event. Youth age 12 and younger are $15, age 2 and under are free. Purchase online at IU Ticket Office. Tickets are good for both races. Last year's races drew over 16,000 spectators.

Public parking is available in the lots along Fee Lane next to the Gladstein Center.

More than a good time

Proceeds from the race are used by the IU Foundation to fund student scholarships and provide other student financial assistance.

Continuing the tradition, this year’s race involves a peer-to-peer campaign, Students Helping Students, to support the IU Bloomington Food Insecurity Fund. The fund provides support for important services, including the IU Crimson Cupboard, which offers free, healthy food to IU Bloomington students facing food insecurity. One dollar from every Little 500 ticket purchased will support the campaign.

What else is going on this weekend: Little 500, plant giveaway, roller derby, IU Soul Revue

Proceeds from the Little 500 races have contributed more than $2.5 million to student scholarships and causes since it began in 1951. Last year’s race generated $5,929 from student ticket sales to help fight food insecurity on the IU Bloomington campus.

Winners of the first Women's Little 500 bicycle race at IU celebrate their victory (from left) Kirsten Swanson, Amy Tucker, Kerry Hellmuth and Louise Elder on April 22, 1988. The Willkie Sprinters won the race before a crowd of more than 15,000.
Winners of the first Women's Little 500 bicycle race at IU celebrate their victory (from left) Kirsten Swanson, Amy Tucker, Kerry Hellmuth and Louise Elder on April 22, 1988. The Willkie Sprinters won the race before a crowd of more than 15,000.

Welcome back, Willkie Sprint

The grand marshal for this year’s races will be the Willkie Sprint team members who won the first women’s Little 500 bicycle race on April 22, 1988. Prior to that, women were limited to tricycle races at Assembly Hall or attempting to qualify for the men's race.

Members of the Willkie Sprint team will also serve as the race starter for both the women’s and men’s races.

Former Little 500 rider Dave Blase was the inspiration for Dave Stoller's character in Breaking Away. Blase and his team won the 1962 race.
Former Little 500 rider Dave Blase was the inspiration for Dave Stoller's character in Breaking Away. Blase and his team won the 1962 race.

Lights, camera, action

For those who have not been, check out the 1979 movie "Breaking Away," which was filmed entirely in Bloomington. It won an Academy Award for best original screenplay and the writer actually participated in the race.

The film follows four friends and recent high school grads who end up in the Little 500 after one of them, Dave, who is obsessed with bike racing, becomes enamored with an IU co-ed. She just happens to be dating one of the big men on campus and their spat leads them to a showdown in the Little 5.

A look at the new State Bicycle Company bikes that will used for the first time in this year's Little 500, during qualifying on March 23, 2023.
A look at the new State Bicycle Company bikes that will used for the first time in this year's Little 500, during qualifying on March 23, 2023.

Who makes the new bikes in this year's race?

Every competitor in the Little 500 must ride the same model bike as provided by race officials. For many years, Roadmaster and most recently Schwinn were the favored manufacturers, but this year the race has turned to Arizona firm State Bicycle Company.

More than 200 bikes in a custom cream and crimson paint were provided to the teams.

Who made the field for this year's Little 5?

A full men's field of 33 teams and a group 27 women's teams have made this year's race:

MEN'S QUALIFIERS: 1. Cutters 2:26.549; 2. Sigma Phi Epsilon 2:31.731; 3. Sigma Alpha Epsilon 2:34.649; 4. Alpha Kappa Psi; 5. Phi Kapp Psi; 6. Phi Gamma Delta; 7. Chi Phi; 8. Conzano; 9. Human Wheels; 10. Alpha Sigma Phi; 11. Delta Tau Delta; 12. Pi Kappa Alpha; 13. Alpha Kappa Lambda; 14. Chi Alpha; 15. Gray Goat; 16. Ghost Cycling; 17. Phi Sigma Kappa; 18. Novus; 19. CSF Cycling; 20. Beta Sigma Psi; 21. Sigma Nu; 22. 3PH Cycling; 23. Delta Sigma Pi; 24. Lambda Chi Alpha; 25. Forest Cycling; 26. Phi Delta Theta; 27. Evans Scholars; 28. Tau Epsilon Phi; 29. IUDM Cycling; 30. Bears; 31. Wild Aces Cycling; 32. Army Cycling; 33. Beta Theta Pi.

WOMEN'S QUALIFIERS: 1. Alpha Chi Omega 2:54.551; 2. Teter 2:55.771; 3. Kappa Alpha Theta 2:59.220; 4. Independent Council Cycling; 5. Kappa Delta; 6. Alpha Gamma Delta; 7. Delta Gamma; 8. Kappa Kappa Gamma; 9. CSF Cycling; 10. Theta Phi Alpha; 11. SKI; 12. Novus; 13. Melanzana Cycling; 14. Cru Cycling; 15. RideOn Cycling; 16. Phi Gamma Nu; 17. Delta Zeta; 18. Alpha Omicron Pi; 19. Gamma Phi Beta; 20. Chi Omega; 21. Bison Cycling; 22. Phi Mu; 23. Sigma Kappa; 24. Alpha Sigma Alpha; 25. Alpha Delta Pi; 26. Alpha Epsilon Phi; 27. Sigma Delta Tau.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What to know about this weekend's Indiana University Little 500 races