BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The 34th running of the women's Little 500 and the 71st running of the men's Little 500 took place on April 22 and April 23, respectively, at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
This year’s races drew large crowds with more than 16,500 spectators attending both events. This was the first time in two years the Indiana University and Bloomington community could attend the race in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were thrilled to welcome students, alumni, and friends of the university back to Bloomington for this year’s Little 500,” said Andrea Hardisty, director, IU Student Foundation. “It was wonderful to see the stands full and everyone’s continued support of this tradition that develops student leaders and supports students on the IU Bloomington campus.”
The Little 500 is the largest collegiate bike race in the United States. In a race modeled after the Indianapolis 500, riders compete in four-person teams around a quarter-mile track at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The men's race is 200 laps (50 miles), and the women's race is 100 laps (25 miles).
Proceeds from the Little 500 races have contributed more than $2.5 million in student scholarships since it began in 1951. This year’s races generated $5,929 from student ticket sales to help fight food insecurity on the IU Bloomington campus. Salesforce.org, an official Little 500 sponsor, is contributing an additional $5,000 to support this cause. This year the IU Student Foundation members raised awareness about food insecurity resources available to students, including the Crimson Cupboard. The Students Helping Students campaign is also supporting the fight against food insecurity by contributing to the IUB Food Insecurity Fund. This fund allows for the expansion of food insecurity resources on campus, such as a meal point donation program and a second Crimson Cupboard location in the Indiana Memorial Union.
This academic year, the IU Student Foundation also awarded $276,680 in scholarships for undergraduate students on the Bloomington campus and grants supporting University Student Organizations.
This year 22 teams competed in the women’s Little 500 and 33 teams competed in the men’s race. First-time winner Melanzana Cycling won the women’s race and Phi Delta Theta claimed victory in the men’s race.
The Media School again partnered with the IU Student Foundation and the Little 500. Both races were broadcasted live and had nearly 5,000 viewers from 30 countries. Recordings of both the women’s and men’s races are available at broadcast.iu.edu.