It’s that time of year once again. Empty your calendar, as the “World’s Greatest College Weekend” returns to Bloomington for the 2026 Little 500.
Thirty-three men’s and women’s cycling teams will compete in 200-lap and 100-lap races to be crowned champions and hoist the Borg-Warner Trophy at the center of Bill Armstrong Stadium. Kappa Alpha Theta and Black Key Bulls are both aiming to capture a three-peat in their respective races.
The 38th edition of the women’s Little 500 will start at 4 p.m. April 24, and the 75th edition of the men’s Little 500 begins at 2 p.m. April 25.
Rules and terms to know
The Pit: Located on the edges of the track with the fan stands, each team of riders will have their own 16-foot pit selected in order of team qualification. A maximum of six people can be the pit at a time, and no exchanges take place within this 16-foot space.
Exchange: During the race, teams swap out riders while either keeping the same bike or switching. The women are required to complete at least five exchanges over the duration of the race, while the men must make at least 10. Each exchange takes place within a 32-foot designated pit area, and failure to make the exchange within this zone will result in the original rider having to continue the rest of the lap alongside a two-second penalty.
Penalty: Any team in violation of the rules will receive a penalty, with the minimum penalty time being two seconds and a maximum of 20 seconds. This time must be served in the penalty box, located near the start line, and must be served within 10 laps of the infraction.
Line-up: The order of the riders for the pace lap.
Pace Lap: A lap led by a “pace car” prior to the first lap which slowly progresses in speed.
Pole Position: The team that starts the race in the first position.
Yellow Jersey: The reigning champions of last year’s race will don a bright yellow jersey. Kappa Alpha Theta (women’s) and Black Key Bulls (men’s) won’t be hard to spot.
Green Jersey: The team which qualifies in the pole position can rep a green jersey. Kappa Alpha Theta and Cutters won the women’s and men’s qualifying races, respectively. However, Kappa Alpha Theta will wear the yellow jersey instead.
Bike: The IU Student Foundation provides each team with two standard bikes. Teams are not allowed to alter the bikes in any way.
Drafting: Riding behind another rider to reduce wind resistance and conserve energy.
Burning: Expelling all remaining energy prior to an exchange.
Borg-Warner Trophy: Nicknamed “Baby Borg,” the trophy is a replica of the famous Indianapolis 500 trophy. The trophy is presented to the winning team at the podium following the conclusion of the race.
Flags: There are several flags officials may use to control the race. Failure to adhere to any flag will result in a two-second penalty.
- Green: Start of the race
- Red: The race has been stopped, usually for a crash or other track hazard
- Yellow: Ride cautiously, no passing
- Black: Ride on outside of the track
- Blue with orange stripe: Rider must allow other rider to pass
- White: Start of the final lap
- Checkered flag: End of the race
Officials
IUSF Little 500 race director: Peter Schulz, the person responsible for all racing activities.
Judge: Must report all race infractions and irregularities to the chief steward. There are 17 spread throughout the track.
Chief steward: Responsible for the conduct of the race. They have the power to assess penalties and disqualify riders.
Chief observers: Stationed above the action in observation towers. Three observers help the Chief Steward with rule enforcement.
Safety officials: Responsible for ensuring the safety of all riders during the competition.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's spring 2026 Little 500 Guide.
