Indiana University's fiercely competitive Little Fifty, which will be run on April 14, is the first official event of the nationally acclaimed and televised Little 500. IU's Little 500, founded in 1951, is the largest collegiate bike race in the United States, and perhaps became even more popular after the movie “Breaking Away” which is specifically about the event.
Relay-race for Runners
The Little Fifty is the relay-race for runners, rather than bikers, and is gaining in popularity each year. Both men's and women's teams, comprised of four runners, compete in a 50-lap relay. Pre-qualifications narrow the running field to twenty-five teams in each race, which is open to any IU Bloomington undergraduate student who is not a varsity runner. The running event was developed to further increase enthusiasm and involvement in Little 500 activities, and like other Little 500 event races, the Little Fifty raises money to provide scholarships for working IU students.
In addition to scholarship funds, Little Fifty brings on competition and a stadium of spectators. Banners, signs, students, parents, media and the general public fill the stands when the runners take the track for the annual event. The race inspires positive rivalry between housing units and independent teams. A fun and entertaining event, there is also great athletic talent on the track. Many of the runners excelled in competitive track and cross country programs in high school. The winning teams train extensively for months prior to the event.
2010 Little Fifty Winners
Last year’s winning men’s team, Los Corredores, was comprised of sophomore Andrew Schroyer and freshmen Michael Nussa, Dan Phistry and Kyle Brehm. Although the race was tight for the first 25 laps, the team widened the gap and ended up winning by more than forty seconds over the second place finisher. The winning time for Los Corredores was 55:09.
The first place team for the girls, with a time of 1:08, “Team Crimson”, was made up of juniors Madeline Haller and Chelsea Sutton and freshmen Becky Boyle and Sarah Tuner.
As enthusiasm and competition escalate, the race heads back to Indiana Universitys Billy Hayes Track. Last year's event took place off campus because IUs track was in the renovation process. "We're excited to have the race back on campus," said Michael Nussa, a member of last year's winning team and also a Little Fifty Runners' Council member. "Little Fifty is a fun way to kick off Little 500 week, and a great way to get even more people involved."
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