Best Annual Event

Indiana University has many things to pride itself on. But there is one event at IU that brings students from all over campus together for a weekend of full-on celebration: Little 500.

Little 500 riders race relay-style for 200 laps around a quarter-mile cinder track. The women’s race is 100 laps. The teams are selected by qualifications nearly a month prior to race day.

Little 500 was founded in 1951 by the executive director of IU Student Foundation, Howard “Howdy” Wilcox. He modeled the event after the Indianapolis 500, which his father participated in and won in 1919.

“It is such an amazing feeling to be part of something this big at IU,” said Eric Young, junior cyclist for the Cutters. “Our guys put in so many hours a week training for this event in the spring, but it’s great because it never feels like work. We all enjoy riding so much, it becomes a lifestyle.”

Every year the weekend begins with Little Fifty, an event that involves running a 4x800-meter relay on Thursday, followed by the women’s race Friday and the men’s race Saturday.

This year will be the 23rd running of the women’s race and the 60th running of the men’s race.

The Little 500 weekend has not only become a favorite tradition among IU students, but it attracts students from other universities to enjoy the weekend of festivities. Yet it’s not just the race itself that brings thousands of students together every spring — it’s the spirit of tradition. The week leading up to the actual race is full of concerts, parties, celebrity appearances and numerous other outdoor activities that spark the morale on campus.

“It takes a special event to throw the entire campus and city of Bloomington into a frenzy,” junior Ethan Janson said. “30,000-plus people getting together for a week of fun, excitement and non-stop parties. No other university has anything as radical as Little 500.”