BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Imagine 66 teams consisting of 264 cyclists battling their way around the track in pursuit of the Little 500 Borg-Warner Trophy. The field is set for the Little 500, the largest collegiate bike race in America - April 25 and 26 at Indiana University’s Bill Armstrong stadium.
The women's race will be at 4 p.m. Friday, April 25, and the men's race will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil, members of the IU women’s basketball team, will serve as grand marshals for the men’s and women’s races. IU Football Coach Curt Cignetti will join them as a grand marshal for the men’s race
“I am thrilled to be directing this year’s race,” said Peter Schulz, Little 500 race director. “The races will be sensational with lots of talent and depth. I am excited to see our student-athletes’ hard work come to light. There are few guarantees in life, but one guarantee is an electric atmosphere at Bill Armstrong Stadium,” Schulz shared.
The Little 500 is more than a bike race—it’s time-honored IU tradition that showcases student athleticism, and embodies the “Hoosier values” of persistence, leadership, teamwork and generosity. It’s also an opportunity to educate students on the importance of philanthropy and to teach them how to be life-long philanthropic advocates who help their local communities after graduation.
This year’s races involve a peer-to-peer campaign, Students Helping Students, in partnership with the Office of Student Life and for the second year, the races rallied students to support mental health on the Bloomington campus. Funds raised will help create a campus environment that fosters understanding, and open dialogue about mental well-being.
“I am so excited to see all that our students accomplish during this year’s campaign,” said Aimie DeLeon, assistant director, student lifetime engagement. “The IU Student Foundation has always had philanthropy rooted in its history and to see Students Helping Students grow each year is amazing. To witness the impact our current students are making is truly remarkable and will benefit the IU Bloomington campus for years to come,” shared DeLeon.
The 2024 Students Helping Students campaign had over 800 student donors and raised over $60,000. This money helped fund the Wellness House – which offers students wellness programing and a space for peace, relaxation, reflection. In addition, proceeds from the Little 500 races have contributed more than $2.5 million to student scholarships and causes since it began in 1951.
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).
Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster. One ticket is valid for both the women's and men's races.
Ticket prices:
- Student in advance: $35
- Non-student in advance: $40
- Student, day of: $45
- Non-student, day of: $50
- VIP (Reserved Bleachers), day of: $50
- Ages 12 and under: $15 in advance and day of the event
- Ages 2 and under: Free
The Media School is partnering again with the IU Student Foundation and Little 500 to broadcast both races live online.
Editors: Emily Carrico, director of IU Student Foundation, Peter Schulz, Little 500 race director, and Little 500 student riders are available for pre-and post-race interviews. For more information, contact Terri McGaffney at 812-855-6910 or tmcgaffn@iu.edu.
Press materials:
About the Indiana University Student Foundation
The Indiana University Student Foundation gives students opportunities to lead major university projects and events that inspire support for IU—including the nationally recognized Little 500.
About Students Helping Students
Students Helping Students, the philanthropic core of the IU Student Foundation, fosters student generosity at Indiana University through a spring semester peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Empowering IU students to make an immediate impact on campus, the campaign supports a student-selected cause benefiting IU Bloomington students.