If you asked one of them, they would tell you it was all for a good cause.
The purpose of the run is twofold, said Amanda Helms, IU senior and Nearly Naked Mile student director.
Helms said she ran the event her freshman and sophomore year and volunteered last year.
The event both collects clothing and money from participants for United Way and gives students an opportunity to get together, she said. There is a lot of excitement involved, and people rarely think about the physical exertion while they are part of the huge group.
“I think it’s a good way just to get people involved in Homecoming,” she said.
Most people realize the Nearly Naked Mile is a tradition and don’t question the herd of scantily clad students running across the campus, she said.
“It’s just a really good way to be actively participating in the traditions of IU,” Helms said.
Freshman Bobby Claypool, dressed in spandex, breast cancer socks and his Nikes, said he was excited for his first Nearly Naked Mile. Using the body paint provided by Pizza X, he painted a slice of pepperoni pizza on his chest and the words “I’m beating you” on his back.
“I heard it was one of the traditional Homecoming things,” Claypool said.
Looking around, he said excitement was filling the ?atmosphere.
“Everyone’s crazy right now,” he said, watching as hundreds of students ran across the meadow to the music tent where Nick Rivera, the DJ, and the Phunk Nastys, a local band, played for the runners.
Obviously there’s a Homecoming game, Claypool said, but things like the Nearly Naked Mile are important, too, because they bring the campus together.
“I’m just excited for my first Nearly Naked Mile,” he said.
Claypool wasn’t the only person celebrating his first Nearly Naked Mile.
Freshmen Ray Sobczak and Tovah Zivot with their friends Lexy Chapman and Corrine Burnley gathered together in the meadow to represent their dorm floor.
“It’s good to be involved your freshman year,” Sobczak said.
People ran past them as they talked, meeting up with friends and dancing to “Hot in Herre” by Nelly and screaming school chants.
“It feels alive,” Sobczak said, describing the liberating experience of standing nearly naked with hundreds of other students.
Junior Benjy Braude said he was prepared to enjoy his third Nearly Naked Mile.
“Overall, it’s just a goofy time, and I’m all for that,” he said.
Freshman year he wore tighty whities. Sophomore year he wore Batman underwear. This year, having run out of interesting underwear, he said he opted for white shorts with hearts, a yellow sweatband, safety goggles and a red flashing light in the middle of his waistband.
He said dressing up like this brings attention to the cause of the event.
The soggy weather didn’t deter Braude, though. He said the weather has been this way for the past three years and he just goes with it.
Just before the runners lined up, senior Caleb Marshall, senior Katie Landrum and graduate student Chera McCabe, three group exercise instructors from IU Recreational Sports, pumped the crowd up by leading them in a warm-up dance.
“They were just excited to be here,” Marshall said.
After the warm-up, the crowd rushed to line up at the start and actually took off running before Helms could start them.
She said with 700 students preregistered and about the same registering at the event, they had about the same number of participants as last year.
Helms said she estimated about 2,000 articles of clothing were collected for United Way.
Being a Bloomington local, she has been around the event her entire life and said she was happy to participate in this capacity.
“It’s been an incredible opportunity,” she said.
As quickly as the crowd appeared and lined up, it was gone, running down the street in a giant blur of colorful clothes and glow sticks, leaving only the volunteers behind in a suddenly vacant meadow.
“It’s just great to be a part of such an exciting atmosphere,” Helms said.
