2023 Little 500 Race Guide

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF THE LITTLE 500

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @DaltonMJames

“The World’s Greatest College Weekend” is upon us once more.

Last year’s running of the Little 500 was the first held with fans since 2019, a race that saw Phi Delta Theta victorious in the men’s race, while Melanzana Cycling won the women’s race. This year brings a women’s field that has increased to 27, compared to 22 in 2022. The men’s field is composed of 33 teams, just like the Indianapolis 500, the race the Little 500 is modeled after.

Alpha Chi Omega will start from the pole position for the 35th women’s race, which lasts 100 laps. The race will take place at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 21.

Cutters, the all-time winningest team with 14 victories, will start the 72nd running of the men’s Little 500 from the pole position. The 200-lap race will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22.

RULES

Pits : Each team has chosen a pit according to their qualification position. Each pit is sixteen feet long and along the circumference of the track. Teams are allowed to have a maximum of six people in their pit on race day — the registered four riders, one credentialed coach and a credentialed undergraduate student coach.

Exchanges :

Each team is required to complete exchanges throughout the race. Ten exchanges are required for men while five are required for women. The exchanges must be completed within a 32-foot area which is made up of each team’s pit and the pit directly following.

Line-Up:

All starting riders will be mounted to their bicycles and ready to ride before the pace lap. Riders will be lined up based on the qualification order.

Penalties : If teams have committed a violation of rules, they will be penalized for a minimum of two seconds. Penalties will be served in the penalty box located near the start/finish line.

Penalties must be served within 10 laps of them being issued.

Entering the infield: The cement gutter around the inside of the track is considered part of the infield and shall not be ridden on. If a team is forced onto the gutter and into the infield, they will not receive a penalty and can rejoin the track. If a team attempts to improve its position by going into the infield, it will receive a penalty.

OFFICIALS

IUSF Little 500 Race Director: Emily Carrico is 2023’s race director and is responsible for overseeing all administrative duties and management of the race.

Chief Steward: The Chief Steward decides all questions relating to the conduct of the race for which the resolution is not provided in the rulebook. They have the power to disqualify riders for unsportsmanlike conduct and assess penalties.

Judges : Seventeen judges will be stationed around the track and will report irregularities to the Chief Steward.

Chief Observers: Three observers will be positioned in observation towers to aid the Chief Steward in the enforcement of the race rules.

Starter:

The starter is responsible for waving flags when necessary.

Safety Officials: Safety officials will help to clear the track of accidents, control re-entry to the track, point out infractions to the judges and are responsible for the immediate safety of the riders.

KEY TERMS

Bike:

Each team receives two bikes from the IU Student Foundation for race day. The State Bicycle Co. bikes are single-speed, coaster brake, 700c wheeled bike and are not allowed to have any modifications.

Pole: The team that starts the race in first place.

Flags:

There are seven flags used throughout the race: green, yellow, red, white, checkered, black (ride on outside of the track) and blue with an orange stripe (bicycle attempting to pass).

Pack: A group of riders together, usually including the teams near the lead.

Draft: A rider will line up behind another biker, reducing air resistance and allowing the rider to draft — putting in less effort to maintain speed.

Sprinter : A team’s fastest rider in shortbursts, who will often be tasked with the last lap or two to finish the race.

Burn: In preparation for an exchange, the current rider will sprint to separate from the pack before they exchange, “burning” their remaining energy.

Marking: When a team begins a burn, a second team will mark them to pressure them into an exchange, to prevent the burning team from faking and creating a lead.

Set: A period of laps a rider spends on the bike before exchanging. Riders with more stamina may ride longer sets, while sprinters will ride shorter and faster sets.

Lapped traffic: Once a team is off the lead lap, they will be directed to the outside of the track as the pack passes them to avoid interfering with the leaders.

Yellow jersey: The winning team from the year before wears a yellow jersey on race day. Last year’s winners were Phi Delta Theta for the men’s and Melanzana Cycling for the women’s.

Spring Series: A series of four events in the weeks leading up to the race that involve all the riders, including Qualifications, Individual Time Trials, Miss N Out and Team Pursuit. The overall winning team of the Spring Series gets to wear a white bike jersey on race day.

Qualifications:

Also known as Quals, a team gets four laps to set a fastest time and qualify within the 33-man Little 500 field. The fastest team qualifies on the pole and receives a green jersey to wear on race day.

Individual Time Trials : ITTs are also a four-lap event, but are completed individually. Four riders compete at the same time, starting in each corner of the track, to complete four laps first.

Miss N Out:

Starting in heats of five to eight, the last place rider is eliminated every lap until three riders remain. The three advance to the next round until the final heat of eight. Once three riders are left on the last heat, they begin a one-lap sprint to determine the winner.

Team Pursuit:

Two teams of four start on opposite ends of the track and chase each other down in a pace line for 15 laps. The teams are timed based on the third rider to cross the finish line. The two fastest teams compete to determine the winner.

“Breaking Away”: The 1979 movie about the Little 500 won an Academy Award for best original screenplay. The race team Cutters, who won in 2018 and 2019 and has the most wins in the men’s race with 14, was named after the movie.

2023 LITTLE 500 PIT GUIDE WOMEN’S TEAMSFRIDAY

SATURDAY

MEN’S TEAMS -

displays

INDEX

flag, clears the track of wrecks, controls re-entry and points out infractions.

located in the press box, is responsible for the lap counting and time.

pits to monitor conduct, such as in exchanges. One judge presides over every two pits.

JERSEY COLORS

WOMEN’S RACE

Alpha Chi Omega Teter Kappa Alpha Theta

Independent Council Kappa Delta Alpha Gamma Delta

Each year, three jersey colors are designated to certain teams. The white jersey goes to the winner of cumulative Spring Series event points, yellow is worn by last years’ winners and green is worn by the pole winners.

MEN’S RACE

Cutters Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon

2

Delta Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma CSF Cycling

3 4

Theta Phi Alpha SKI Novus

5

Melanzana Cycling Cru Cycling RideOn Cycling

6

Phi Gamma Nu Delta Zeta Alpha Omicron Pi

7

Gamma Phi Beta Chi Omega Bison Cycling

Phi Mu Sigma Kappa Alpha Sigma Alpha

8 9

Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Epsilon Phi Sigma Delta Tau 10 11

RULES OF THE RACE

THE RACE

The women’s race is 100 laps, which is equivalent to 25 miles, while the men’s race is 200 laps, or about 50 miles. Both races are on the quarter-mile cinder track at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Entrants are given State Bicycle Co. bicycles. Teams are made up of as many as four riders.

The riders treat the race much like a running relay.

When a rider is tired, they exchange the bicycle with a teammate. Any full time IU undergraduate can ride in the Little 500.

THE LINEUP

The order of the starting lineup will be determined by qualification times.

These teams will be grouped in rows of three, starting with the No. 1 pole position team on the inside of the track. All No. 1

riders will be mounted and ready five minutes before the pace lap, after which no crew member will be allowed on the inside of the track.

PITS

Each team will be assigned a pit along the outside of the track according to its qualification position. These pits are approximately 16 feet wide and 6 feet deep. All exchanges and bicycle repairs must be made within these boundaries. An exception is when adjacent teams are exchanging simultaneously, one team may step beyond the restraining line to complete its exchange. Each team is allowed to have a pit crew not exceeding two persons — one in the pit and one in

the infield with the bicycle.

PENALTIES

Teams guilty of violating these rules shall be penalized no more than 20 seconds. This time will be spent in the penalty box located near the starting line. A black flag given to the team indicates that a penalty has been imposed. Penalities include imposing another team, including pit and crew, 10 to 20 seconds; illegal exchange from bicycle A to bicycle B, two seconds; using more than three pits for an exchange, two seconds; and unsportsmanlike conduct, five to 20 seconds, depending on severity.

CHANGING RIDERS Teams will be allowed to

Alpha Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi Phi Gamma Delta

Chi Phi Cinzano Human Wheels

Alpha Sigma Phi Delta Tau Delta Pi Kappa Alpha

Alpha Kappa Lambda Chi Alpha Gray Goat

Ghost Cycling Phi Sigma Kappa Novus

CSF Cycling Beta Sigma Psi Sigma Nu

3PH Cycling Delta Sigma Pi Lambda Chi Alpha

Forest Cycling Phi Delta Theta Evans Scholars

Tau Epsilon Phi IUDM Cycling Bears

Wild Aces Cycling Army Cycling Beta Theta Pi

THE FLAGS

change riders as often as they wish, but the team must change a minimum of 10 times in the men’s race and five times in the women’s race. Each bike exchange must begin in front of the pit of the team concerned, and it must be completed by the time the rider has reached the far limits of the next pit on the right. Should the incoming rider fail to start the exchange in front of the correct pit, he or she must continue around for one more lap. If the rider backs up, the team will be subject to penalty. The outgoing rider may use the preceding pit to run and gain momentum for the exchange, but the actual exchange of the bike must take place in the correct pit area.

Scan here for men’s and women’s live updates

Meet the Racers: The Men

Q&A WITH LITTLE 500 LEGACY AUDREY LA VALLE

By Ellie Albin ealbin@iu.edu | @EllieAlbin1

Growing up, the La Valles had a basketball hoop in their driveway. And when Audrey La Valle would play with her brothers — Albert, the oldest, and Andrew, the middle child — they’d adjust the rules a bit: when Audrey scored, her points were worth more than theirs. It wasn’t to belittle her; it didn’t stem from competitiveness. It was because, La Valle said, her older brothers were always the ones showing her the

phase where we thought about swimming in college, but none of us were like star-studded athletes who are gonna go D1 or anything. So my oldest brother (Albert), when he came here, he joined swim club — and had a great time with that — but sort of wanted something more competitive, you know, where more people were really working toward an end goal. He decided, ultimately, he wanted to go through (fraternity) recruitment, because the way he explained it to me was just like, “Even if you

much when they were swimming, or whatever, I was like, “Oh, that’s definitely something I want to do.”

And I just remember being at the pool with our babysitter, we were in the deep end playing tag or whatever — and (Albert and Andrew) were off swimming. But I think I was too young to have that fully figured out, so I was just on the wall. And I was like, “Man, I want to figure this out. I want to be able to swim.”

So, would you describe

Andrew actually has been helping me with my training a lot. And, you know, I call him a lot for advice on that. He was able to become one of, if not the strongest rider in the field, so I know so many other riders look up to him. So to have him as my brother is so awesome, because even all the other current male riders will tell me how awesome he was and how much they enjoyed riding with him. The fact that I’m able to get continuous free advice from him is super cool.

Albert came in and no one knew who he was. And he was starting up a team that hadn’t even raced previously. So the fact that I get to come in having had two brothers who were so influential in the race, and also be a part of such a great team in and of itself with so much history, I think just helps.

How do you usually feel right before the race starts? Do you get brain fog? But is there a certain feeling that you get, physically and mentally?

has that been like?

It’s way more than I thought it would be. I don’t think I realized all the work that goes into this because last year, and the year before, my only job was to ride my bike and you have to kind of separate the two and be like, “OK, this is my captain hat — this is the moment when I have to support the other girls on the team, find what motivates, which is different for every member on the team.”

I think it’s funny. Some girls really need the “I

Hotel options for Little 500 weekend

By Christy Avery averycm@iu.edu | christym_avery

Every year, IU’s Little 500 brings together students, families and even celebrity guests — Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj performed in 2011 — to view the iconic bike race. As the weather warms up, so does the celebration, as visitors come from across the country to spend the weekend exploring the city. For those who need a place to crash each night, there are several hotels in Bloomington close to locations such as College Mall and Kirkwood Avenue — so even if you’re not a townie, you’ll have everything you need to have a successful Little 500 weekend.

Some hotels advise guests to expect heavier traffic and increased rates. Here’s what you can expect from hotels in the area and where they’re situated in the city so you can pick the best place for you.

Travelodge Hotel is less than half a mile from IU’s campus and across the street from College Mall. Guests can take a stroll through campus, shop or rent a boat at Monroe Lake — and when hunger strikes,

Bloomington’s nearby Fourth Street is filled with international dining options.

Because of problems with rowdy parties that happened at the hotel in the past, Travelodge Hotel manager

Josh Long said Travelodge requires guests to put down a deposit during Little 500 weekend which ensures costs will be covered if issues such as property damage happen. This deposit is usually $100.

While the last few years have been quieter at the hotel, particularly since the pandemic, people looking to book a hotel who are not visiting for the race but are concerned about potential noise should inquire about how busy a given hotel might be before they book so they know what to expect, Long said.

“Any hotel I know will cooperate with you and let you know,” he said. “They’ll have a better idea of where to put you in the hotel for a quieter area if that’s a concern to you.”

Comfort Inn is also located near College Mall and offers an outdoor pool and pet-friendly rooms.

Little 500 weekend, typically running up to $300-$400 a night. Rooms at Comfort Inn normally start from $194 a night, according to Choice Hotels.

Lewis said guests are usually a mixture of students, families and visitors from out of town, especially during the summer when the pools open.

Hampton Inn, located on North Walnut Street, offers free parking and is within walking distance of IU’s Memorial Stadium. Oliver Winery and The Golf Club at Eagle Pointe are also nearby.

Deonte Love, an employee at Hampton Inn, said for last year’s race Hampton Inn saw a spike in reservations, including bikers staying at the hotel for the weekend. However, prices usually stay fairly consistent during Little 500.

“As far as our rates, I want to say they’re just above average, but not nearly as expensive as our busier events like sports,” he said.

“Not too out of typical range.”

Closer to campus on Kirkwood Avenue, just a five-minute walk from IU’s Sample Gates, is the

the Square before heading out to browse the shops or take advantage of the bustling college nightlife. The Graduate is pet-friendly and offers free bike rentals, a 24-hour fitness center and even a “Stranger Things”themed suite experience. The Graduate typically sells out or gets close to selling out during Little 500 weekend, Graduate guest experience manager Matthew Hazen said.

“I would say that we see a good mix of alumni and parents of current students at the hotel during the weekend,” Hazen said. “We do receive a decent number of out-of-towners that have heard about Little 500 and want to experience it which is always great to see, but the majority of our guests for the weekend are definitely people with ties to the university.”

With artwork and design elements that reference Little 500 and other iconic Bloomington characteristics, even those who aren’t staying at the hotel come in to check out the lobby, Hazen said.

“We try to be the ‘“living room of the community’ and love to be a frequent stop for locals like ourselves,” Hazen

By Gentry Keener gekeener@iu.edu

Little 500, the largest collegiate bike race in the U.S., has been called “The World’s Greatest College Weekend” and brings more than 25,000 people to Bloomington each year.

Thousands of people — including alumni, families and more — flood the streets of Bloomington, after a hot day of sitting in the sun or a long night of celebrating, they are hungry.

“We are nonstop busy from Thursday all the way through the end of the night on Sunday,” a manager at Nick’s English Hut on Kirkwood Avenue said. “It’s always a good time. We love it.”

From breakfast stops to dessert, many restaurants have lines out the door from Thursday through Sunday.

The Runcible Spoon on East Sixth Street, a local restaurant well known around town for its breakfast, gets busy the moment the restaurant opens at 8 a.m. with college students and families alike.

“People are already waiting outside,” Angela Frezza, manager at the Runcible Spoon, said. “Usually, we’re pretty busy in the morning for breakfast and brunch, but Little 500 pushes those busy hours through til we close.”

Race goers can prep for the long day in the sun with some filling breakfast at the Runcible Spoon, the Village Deli or even grab a quick bagel from Bloomington Bagels. However, the party doesn’t stop there.

Local restaurants on Kirkwood Avenue and on the Square become flooded with a lunch rush and the chaos doesn’t let up until the closing sign switches off.

Even fast-food restaurants that have secured a top spot on Kirkwood Avenue, such as Chipotle and Five Guys, are filled to max capacity with race guests trying to refuel and prepare themselves for the night.

“It will usually be about $4,000 to $5,000 more in revenue per day than a typical weekend,” Jarod Delt, a manager at Five Guys on Kirkwood, said.

However, not every business

in town sees an uproar in customers. Matt Houghton, a manager at Lennie’s Brewpub on Kirkwood Avenue, said his restaurant actually sees a decrease in customers due to locals avoiding the chaos that Kirkwood Avenue can become.

“All of the locals with any sense steer clear of the area because there are a million drunken college kids running around,” Houghton said.

Houghton said Lennie’s Brewpub preps their workers by making sure they are on high alert, monitoring intoxication levels of guests by paying close attention to alcohol intake within the restaurant and looking out for anything that could cause danger to the staff or other customers.

Lennie’s Brewpub is located in close proximity to Kilroy’s Bar N’ Grill, one of the top bars in Bloomington for college students and alumni on any given weekend.

On Little 500 weekend, Kilroy’s hosts special events such as Breakfast Club, an event that opens the bar at 7 a.m. and includes a free breakfast buffet and special offers on drinks. This event brings in mass amounts of customers and increases the crowds on Kirkwood.

It isn’t just the college students who take over the businesses, though. Families pile into restaurants for dinner and often follow it up with some dessert from places like The Chocolate Moose.

“It definitely gets packed in here,” Beth Calgaro, a manager at The Chocolate Moose, said. “We have to double our staff.”

Calgaro said preparation for the Little 500 weekend also includes making sure they have enough supplies and food to serve everyone and fulfill all catering orders.

Little 500 takes over the town of Bloomington in many ways. Food and drinks are a critical aspect to surviving the weekend of sitting in potentially hot weather and late nights out. Although not every restaurant is affected in the same way, many take precautions to prepare for the most iconic college weekend in America.

IDS FILE PHOTO

Kirkwood Avenue is seen Oct. 26, 2021. The Graduate Hotel, located on Kirkwood Avenue, is minutes away from local restaurants like Nick’s English Hut, Kilroy’s on Kirkwood, and Lennie’s Brewpub.

it’s a shame you can only pick one.