The Indiana Daily Student will bring you live updates Friday from Bill Armstrong Stadium throughout the 38th women’s Little 500, set to begin at 3:45 p.m.
Lap 100
After an all-out push from every team in the lead peloton, Alpha Chi Omega wins its first Little 500 title.
Lap 97
It’s going to be a race between Novus, Alpha Chi Omega, Melanzana, Delta Gamma, Theta, Sigma Kappa and RideOn for the win.
Lap 95
In the final, most intense laps of the race, the pace is blistering. Novus has a lead, with the rest of the pack attempting to catch up to them. However, Theta catches up to take the lead, but after an exchange, RideOn has first place.
Lap 90
The pace starts to pick up as the lead changes hands between multiple teams in the lead pack. With 10 laps left, Novus leads the field with a large advantage after a bike exchange.
Lap 85
Alpha Chi Omega surges ahead to lead the main pack as the pace slows. With riders trying to conserve energy, the race is shaping up to be a sprint finish for the win.
Lap 80
After lurking in the front group all day, Kappa Alpha Theta takes first place. Melanzana then surges ahead of Theta to exchange, but Alpha Chi Omega retakes the lead. Omega’s next exchange allows Melanzana to take the lead.
Lap 75
Alpha Chi Omega pushes the pace, generating a large gap in first place. Sigma Kappa and Melanzana follow, trying to keep Omega within reach. However, after a 27-mph lap from sophomore Libby Lewis, Omega comes in for an exchange, and it is now bunched in the leader’s peloton with Teter, Theta and Melanzana.
Lap 70
After having a significant lead before the break, RideOn surrendered its lead first to Sigma Kappa. The pace has slowed as riders try to understand the wet and slick track conditions. SALT Cycling took its first lead of the race until Sigma Kappa and then Alpha Delta Pi pushed into first.
Lap 63
After a one-lap warmup to get the riders moving again, RideOn takes the field back to the green flag and keeps its lead heading into the first turn. With 37 laps left, there are 11 teams on the lead lap.
5:50 p.m.
All teams have returned to their assigned pit stalls, as fans start to fill into their seats again. Riders have now begun light warmups on rollers to get ready for the final stretch of this race. An announcement has called for riders to line up at the starting line to try to restart the race as quickly as possible.
5:35 p.m.
The rain has stopped, and the sun was shining on the track for a bit before clouds covered it again. Some officials, volunteers and coaches have emerged from their shelters to see the conditions in the area. The officials hope to reopen the gates to Bill Armstrong Stadium at 5:45 p.m. and restart the race at 6 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
The rain has started to ease up, and the dark clouds have moved away from Bill Armstrong Stadium. Teams and spectators evacuated the track and stands when the lightning delay was issued.
Lap 63
The race is now red flagged due to lightning at Bill Armstrong Stadium. RideOn took a large lead throughout the last couple of laps but will now see its lead disappear. If the event resumes after the weather delay, the teams will be bunched up at the start/finish line.
Lap 55
RideOn takes a strong lead, as dark clouds have started to roll over Bill Armstrong Stadium and the chance of precipitation has increased. Anticipation for the final 45 laps fills the air. With the race completing 51 laps, it can be declared official if rain were to postpone the remaining laps.
Lap 50
Halfway through the 100-lap race, RideOn takes the lead. Even though teams have conducted multiple exchanges, Teter, Melanzana, Alpha Chi Omega, Theta, Delta Gamma and RideOn have stayed at the front of the peloton for most of the race.
Lap 40
The leaders slow to four wide, led by Sigma Kappa. RideOn takes the lead again, followed by Theta as the teams push the pace. Theta takes another smooth exchange, returning to the front of the pack easily.
Teter takes the lead as the top nine teams have their fastest laps of the race, with teams going 25 mph or faster.
Lap 30
Melanzana and RideOn stayed close together at the front of the pack. However, the pair could not hold off a move from Kappa Kappa Gamma to take the lead.
The teams picked up the pace as they came into the pits to change their riders. Theta picked up a large cushion but returned to the peloton after its rider exchange. Teter takes the lead as the pace has slowed down after the chaos of bike exchanges.
Lap 20
Heavy traffic in the home stretch pit area, as Melanzana comes out in front. The pack thins down to a line as Theta opens the pace and takes its first exchange, which brings Melanzana back in front.
After a chaotic start to the race, the peloton bunches back up as Melanzana stays first and slows the pace.
Lap 15
Godspeed takes its first exchange on lap 9, as Sigma Kappa takes the lead. Within a lap, Teter takes the lead as Gamma Phi Beta exchanges.
Pi Beta Phi takes a large lead from the pack to safely exchange.
Delta Gamma begins to push the pace, taking a significant lead with a big increase in pace to 22 mph.
Lap 5
After Sigma Kappa and Melanzana traded the lead with each other to start the race, multiple other teams have taken the lead for a lap. After starting 26th and in row No. 9, Gamma Phi Beta took the lead on lap 5. Delta Phi Epsilon was the first team to fall out of the drafting pack.
Lap 1
Indiana football players Kaiden Turner, Charlie Becker and Carter Smith get the riders ready as Smith loudly exclaims to the riders to mount their bikes. They take their two warm-up laps behind the pace car and one pace lap. The stands are packed, and fans are energized as the riders prepare themselves for the race.
The green flag is waving, and the 38th annual women’s Little 500 race is underway. Kappa Alpha Delta takes the early lead, and Melanzana goes up to second.
3:45 p.m.
With warmups done, pre-race announcements have begun. The Little 500 parade of cars provided by the Indy 500 make their way down the backstretch. Starting riders proceed to the start line to align themselves in the same order as qualifications.
After the conclusion of team introductions, several students sing the National Anthem and “Back Home Again in Indiana” to a packed crowd. Cheers are growing louder as riders mount their bikes and the start of the race draws near.
3:35 p.m.
Teams have concluded their 20-minute warmup period, and riders slowly get off the track. The stands continue to fill with fans and spectators.
Reigning champions Theta’s fans have been particularly energetic, cheering on their riders consistently since they arrived at the track. Starting in third, Alpha Chi Omega’s fans have also been bringing the energy in support of their team.
3:15 p.m.
Riders have now started warming up, which includes light workouts on rollers and laps around the track. All teams will have 20 minutes to get their legs and minds prepared for the race as the announcers introduce the teams to the audience.
After a close finish last season between Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Chi Omega, the pair will both start on the front row. Additionally, Teter will provide competition to a field that is projected to be close after finishing second in qualifications this year.
3 p.m.
As riders warm up and prepare for the green flag to drop, an announcement sounds through Bill Armstrong Stadium that due to inclement weather, the race start time has been moved from 4:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Warmups will also be opened earlier, starting at 3:15 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m. Additionally, some pre-race festivities will not be happening in order to accommodate this earlier start time.
2:30 p.m.
Kappa Alpha Theta has now arrived at its No. 1 pit stall in its yellow jerseys, which mark its place as the defending champions. Theta won the 2024 and 2025 editions of the race and aims to become the first team to win three consecutive events.
Theta’s roster is brimming with experience, led by seniors Claire Tips, Bailey Cappella and Greta Weeks, plus junior Greta Heyl. Cappella and Heyl were named All-Star Riders last year and helped Theta finish first at qualifications this year. The team will be starting on the front row with Teter Cycling and Alpha Chi Omega.
2:15 p.m.
Welcome to “The World’s Greatest College Weekend,” as it’s now less than an hour and 45 minutes away from the start of the 38th annual women’s Little 500 race. Teams are starting to enter Bill Armstrong Stadium to talk among themselves and warm up before the 100-lap race.
The wind has picked up recently, and clouds have started to roll over the track. According to The Weather Channel, there’s a possibility of rain pouring down on the riders around 4:45 p.m.
CORRECTION: The story was updated to correct the fact that spectators had not returned at 5 p.m.
