About the race

The “World’s Greatest College Weekend” is fast approaching. Fans will soon pack the bleachers of Bill Armstrong Stadium to cheer and watch a storied tradition — the Little 500 races.

The Little 500 consists of the 33 fastest cycling teams in each of the two races, the women’s race and men’s race. The women’s race is 100 laps (25 miles), while the men’s race is 200 laps (50 miles).

There is only one team in each race that will get the honor and privilege of hoisting the Borg-Warner trophy as Little 500 champions.

The women’s race will take place at 4 p.m. on April 25, and the men’s race will begin at 2 p.m. on April 26.

Rules to Know

Pits: Each team in the race chooses a pit along the track. This position is determined via selection. The selection order is based on the place that each team finished in qualifications. Each pit is 16 feet wide, and no other teams are permitted to exchange in that area. There is a maximum of six people allowed in the pit during the race.

Exchanges: Each team must complete multiple exchanges throughout the race. An exchange is legal when teams switch riders with either one or two bikes.

While the exchange is happening, the outgoing rider cannot touch the incoming bike until it crosses the front line of the team’s pit area. Every exchange must be completed within a 32-foot area.

Throughout the race, the women are required to complete a minimum of five exchanges while the men must complete 10.

Penalties: If a team commits a penalty, they will be penalized for a minimum of two seconds. The team’s time must be spent in the designated penalty area, which is located near the starting line. All penalties must be served within 10 laps after the penalty is initially announced.

Line-Up: The lineup is how riders are lined up for the initial pacing lap.

Safety zone: The safety zone is located right before the infield, 10 feet from the inner line of the track. This area may only have authorized people inside it. The safety zone is there to protect non-active riders from the track.

Entering the infield: The cement gutter around the interior of the track surrounds the infield. Riders are not allowed to enter or ride on it unless they are forced by another team onto the gutter or into the infield.

If a team attempts to improve its position by riding through the infield, they will be assessed a penalty.

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Officials

Indiana University Student Foundation Litte 500 race director: Emily Carrico serves as the director of the event, overseeing all cycling activities.

Assistant Director: Peter Schulz joined the IUSF as an assistant director on January 13, 2025. Schulz leads the spring cycling series events and is an adviser in the Rider’s Council and Steering Committee.

Chief Steward: The chief steward will decide on all questions that relate to the conduct of the race itself. They have the power to disqualify any team or rider for unsportsmanlike conduct. They also have the power to assess penalties throughout the race if necessary. All decisions made by the chief steward are final and unable to be appealed.

Judges: There are a total of 17 judges who are stationed throughout the track. The job of the judges is to report irregularities to the chief steward for a further decision.

Chief observers: The three chief observers are positioned in observation towers. The main duty of these observers is to aid the chief steward with the enforcement of rules.

Starter: The starter is responsible for giving the flag signals for the riders to follow.

Safety Officials: They are responsible for the safety of the riders during the race.

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Terms to know

Bike: The IUSF gives every team two bikes for the Little 500 race. Teams that make illegal changes to the bikes or fail to comply with the rules will receive a penalty. Teams may be issued a third bike, but only if both bikes already given are damaged to the point they cannot be repaired.

Flags: Flags are how the race is controlled; the different color flags have different meanings:

Any team that does not observe the flags and their meanings will receive penalties.

Pole position: The team that begins in first place is in “pole position.”

Drafting: When a rider conserves their energy by riding behind another rider, while benefiting from a reduction of wind resistance.

Yellow jersey: The winning team from the previous year for both the men’s and women’s races has the opportunity to wear the yellow jersey. Kappa Alpha Theta will wear the yellow jersey in the women’s race and Black Key Bulls will wear the yellow jersey in the men’s race.

Green Jersey: The team that finishes first at qualifications has the opportunity to wear the green jersey. Delta Gamma will wear the green jersey in the women’s race and Black Key Bulls would have worn the green jersey in the men’s race if not for their victory in 2024.

Borg-Warner Trophy: The name of the Indianapolis 500 replica trophy that is presented to the winners of the Little 500.

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