Participants alter routines after Little Fifty, women’s Little 500 race change times

Two important anniversaries of Little 500 events ­— the 25th racing of the women’s Little 500 and the 10th running of the Little Fifty — will take place this spring.

But the commemorative celebrations will also come with significant schedule changes.

Last year, the Little Fifty took place on a Thursday night, the day before the women’s Little 500 bicycle race, which began at 4 p.m. Friday. This year, both events will take place at new times, the IU Student Foundation announced.

“The decision was made in order to help maximize the number of alumni returning for the event while also creating a spectacle to highlight this 25-year milestone,” Assistant Director of the Little 500 races Jordan Bailey said in a press release.

Little Fifty will now take place 5 p.m. Sunday, April 15, the weekend before the men’s and women’s Little 500 races. The green flag for the women’s Little 500 will now start the race at 7 p.m. April 20.

Senior Katie Reed, who rides for Alpha Gamma Delta and is a member of the Riders Council, said changing the time could help mark the occasion as something
different and help bring in more alumni.

“By moving it under the lights, we will make the race more special for fans and alumni,” Reed said.

Amy Dickman, a rider for Kappa Alpha Theta, agreed, saying it’s a great move for the Little 500 women’s race as a whole.

“I think it adds a new element of excitement,” she said.

Sophomore Kelsey Tharnstrom, a rider for Alpha Chi Omega, said she disagrees.
“I know they want to do it for the special 25th running, but I was little taken back by it,” Tharnstrom said. “Me and a lot of riders were not necessarily happy because it’s going to make preparing for the race a lot harder mentally and physically because we’re going to be awake so long before the race.”

It’s going to alter sleeping, eating and warm-up patterns, she said.

“It’s going to change everything completely,” Tharnstrom said. “It’s going to be colder. For me and my teammates, there’s a lot of negatives to it. For the riders, it’s overall a pretty poor decision.”

Senior Susan Laurie, a rider for the defending champion Teter Squad, said she isn’t worried about the change in time.

“A lot of people are pretty hesitant about it,” Laurie said. “But everyone is going to be under the same conditions, so it might be fun.”

Bailey said the Little Fifty race was moved to Sunday to attract as many people in the stands as possible to watch the runners perform.

Bailey said IUSF collaborated with the Little Fifty Runner’s Council, which is comprised of 10 runners from various teams. He said the Runner’s Council provides a participant’s viewpoint, and the move was one of the suggestions.
The race will be a lead-in to the week of Little 500.

“I was excited about it,” IU Run Club President Michael Nussa said. “I’m also on the committee that helps with Little Fifty. When we talked about it, we felt it would help increase interest in the race. We’re not as big as Little 5. With it on Thursday night, it always interfered with GLOWfest and a lot of other concerts. We felt that moving it to Sunday, kicking off the week, it’d be a great way to get more people out and a greater interest between runners and spectators.”

While Little Fifty won’t interfere with any concerts this year, the women’s Little 500 starts two hours before Sublime with Rome, the Union Board concert at Assembly Hall, kicks off.

“I know it is conflicting with the concert they’re having at 9, which is kinda confusing,” Laurie said.

Senior Erica Young, who is running on Alpha Phi Omega’s Little Fifty team this year, said while it’s not the worst thing that could happen, she is not a fan of the time change.

“It doesn’t feel as important,” Young said. “I feel like it’s been pushed to the back corner of Little 5.”

­­­— Sean Blue and Steph Langan contributed to this report