The Indiana Daily Student will bring you live updates from Bill Armstrong Stadium throughout the 73rd men’s Little 500, set to begin at 2 p.m. EST.
For live photo updates, check out: PHOTOS: Live updates from the men's Little 500
Lap 200
For the third time in its history, and only a year removed from failing to qualify for the race, Black Key Bulls wins the 2024 Little 500.
Lap 199
The white flag is out as Black Key Bulls looks to finish the job. CUTTERS and Delta Tau Delta fight to finish second.
Lap 195
Black Key Bull’s lead is down to only 8 seconds. Wiley Close goes in for the team, and slowly accelerates. Close’s seat post drops, forcing the team to exchange only two laps later.
Lap 190
Black Key Bulls holds a 17 second advantage over Sigma Alpha Epsilon following an exchange from both teams.
Only 10 laps to go.
Lap 180
The main peloton, once behind Black Key Bulls and Sigma Alpha Epsilon by over 11 seconds, now has sight of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Black Key Bulls and Sigma Phi Epsilon crash during exchanges but rejoin the pack, with Black Key Bulls recovering and speeding ahead to a nine-second lead.
Lap 175
Black Key Bulls and Sigma Alpha Epsilon are now together at the front. The two leaders are ahead of the pack by over 11 seconds.
Lap 170
Black Key Bulls’ Jack Handlos and Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Luke Naas are off the front after a big burn and exchange. They now lead the following group by a quarter lap with 40 to go.
Five bikes — Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, CUTTERS and Chi Alpha — are now within the pack following the two leaders.
Lap 150
Sigma Phi Epsilon makes an exchange and is overtaken by Black Key Bulls and Sigma Phi Epsilon. After leading for over 100 laps, Sigma Phi Epsilon is now sitting in third.
Exchanges from the two leaders allow Sigma Alpha Epsilon to retake the lead, but now CUTTERS and Delta Tau Delta are among the pack with Black Key Bulls and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Lap 135
At one point, Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s lead was over 20 seconds, but it’s now only a 9.7-second lead, the closest it has been in over 50 laps.
The pursuing pack continues to be led by Black Key Bulls, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Phi Delta Theta and Chi Alpha.
Lap 115
Sigma Phi Epsilon, CUTTERS, Delta Tau Delta, Phi Delta Theta, Black Key Bulls and Chi Alpha all make exchanges. The chase group splits apart for a lap, but quickly comes back together with fresh riders.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon also makes an exchange, and its lead dwindles to just over 15 seconds.
Lap 100
Sigma Alpha Epsilon stretches its lead to around 18 seconds with Luke Naas now on the bike.
CUTTERS suffered a setback and fell off the main peloton after an exchange, but it has now rejoined. Phi Delta Theta, Black Key Bulls, Chi Alpha and Sigma Phi Epsilon continue to lead the pack chasing Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Only 100 laps to go.
Lap 80
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s lead begins to dwindle, as it’s now down to 10 seconds, or a straightaway ahead of the chase group. Sigma Phi Epsilon, CUTTERS, Chi Alpha, Delta Tau Delta, Black Key Bulls and Phi Delta Theta are all included.
Lap 70
Sigma Alpha Epsilon continues to dominate the race. After once leading by three quarters of a lap, its advantage dwindled to half a lap, but an exchange brought that lead back to three quarters.
The pack pursuing Sigma Alpha Epsilon is led by Black Key Bulls, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Phi Epsilon and CUTTERS.
Lap 55
Alpha Sigma Phi crashes on the back stretch. The yellow flag is waved, and the riders slow down.
The green flag is back only a lap later, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon continues to lead by 34 seconds — almost three quarters of a lap.
Lap 50
Phi Gamma Delta exchanges and Sigma Alpha Epsilon breaks away. Its lead extends to 10 seconds, and it is now a half lap ahead of the main peloton.
SAE's Luke Naas mounts the bike and enters the track while Black Key Bulls, Fiji, CUTTERS, Phi Kappa Psi and others attempt to catch up.
Lap 42
Cinzano makes an attack and opens a lead of about four seconds. After three laps off the front, Cinzano exchanges and is caught by the pack.
Among the chaos, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Phi Gamma Delta sneak away, gaining a quarter-lap lead on the rest of the field.
Cinzano falls behind the peloton by five seconds.
Lap 27
A massive crash for many of the top teams occurs near turn three. Sigma Nu, Human Wheels, Novus, Lambda Chi Alpha and other teams are involved in the crash. The race continues to stay green.
Around 15 teams make up the main peloton with Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Black Key Bulls and Phi Delta Theta taking turns at the front.
Lap 20
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Sigma Phi separate from the pack, but the teams behind quickly recover.
The five-wide pack thins to single file as their pace maintains. Some teams fall off the pace, but a large group still remains.
Lap 14
Mother Bears and Christian Student Fellowship (CSF)both serve two-second penalties. CSF quickly makes its way back to the main peloton, and Mother Bears falls behind.
Mezcla and another team crash in turn two. Both riders are okay and mount their bicycles. The race is not neutralized, and the pack goes on.
Lap 1
After three warmup laps, the riders are off. Sigma Phi Epsilon, holding the pole position after finishing first in the 2024 qualifications, leads the front.
Only 199 laps to go.
3:15 p.m.
After marching around the track, the pro-Palestinian protesters exit the stadium. They leave in two cars but are pulled over by the IUPD right outside the stadium. An officer tells a protester the police let the group walk around the race but are pulling the protesters over now for interrupting traffic and running a flag up a pole. The officer asks for the protestor’s ID, but a few minutes later, the officers tell the group they are free to go. In an interview with the IDS, a protester denied the police officer’s claims.
During a previous pro-Palestinian protest April 8 in Dunn Meadow, IUPD temporarily detained three protesters and arrested one for disorderly conduct.
“IUPD conducted a traffic stop on two vehicles after their occupants were observed using university property without authorization outside an athletic venue,” Hannah Skibba, public information officer for IUPD, said in an emailed statement to the IDS. “IUPD officers sought identifying information for the individuals and released them. The information will be referred to student conduct for review.”
2 p.m.
A group of 11 pro-Palestinian protesters stand in the bleachers in front of the starting line. Dressed in t-shirts that read “Divest from Crane,” the group chants at IU President Pamela Whitten, who shakes the hands of the riders as their teams are announced.
IU in October 2023 announced a $111 million investment including collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division — a U.S. naval installation southwest of Bloomington.
As part of the commitment, IU is investing $23.5 million to hire 25 faculty members in microelectronics, focusing on faculty with U.S. Department of Defense experience.
It is unknown whether Crane is directly involved in the Israel-Hamas war. As of 2021, Crane is part of a research and development agreement with the Israeli defense company Smart Shooter — focusing on increasing the accuracy of defenses against small unmanned aircraft. Crane was not immediately available for comment by the time of publication.
IU Bloomington faculty overwhelmingly passed votes of no confidence in Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty on Tuesday.
“Whitten, Whitten, you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide!” the protesters yell, holding up Palestinian flags and a white sheet reading “Palestine bleeds IU profits.” Some fans nearby boo at the protesters.
As the race starts, the protesters march outside the track, in front of the bleachers filled with fans, followed by multiple IU Police Department officers. They chant “while you’re watching, bombs are dropping. Stop your biking. Kids are dying” and are met with more boos from fans who yell at them to leave.
The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations in support of Palestine and critical of IU’s response to the Israel-Hamas war, demanding IU divest from U.S. military contractors and the Israeli government.
1:45 p.m.
The 30-minute warm up session has closed, and the track is now getting situated for the start of the race.
The anticipation is palpable amongst the crowd. Only 15 minutes to go.
12:30 p.m.
Fans are beginning to filter into the stadium as the gates are now open. Some search for their team’s pit to make sure they are in the right section, donning the colors and logos of their squad. Others simply search for the best spot to view the race near the center of the bleachers.
Riders are also beginning their pre-race preparations as the call for their appearance in the registration tent has just been issued.
On a windy Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining bright with no clouds in sight. The conditions are perfect with only one and a half hours to go.
11:30 a.m.
Festivities have already begun two and a half hours before the start of the race. Numerous tailgates supporting different teams — such as CUTTERS, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Forest Cycling — are situated in the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall parking lot.
One tailgate supporting Black Key Bulls is filled with fans. A BKB flag is waving high in the wind, and everyone is sporting BKB hats and shirts. The tailgate began around 10 a.m. and will conclude around 1:30 p.m., but it will be back on right after the race ends.
“Especially if we win,” one fan said.
