A tradition 72 years in the making-

Indiana University’s Little 500 has been a staple to student’s spring semesters every year since it began. Modeled after the Indianapolis 500, the race is a competition against 33 teams for each race (women’s and men’s). Each team consists of four riders cycling around the quarter-mile track to complete 200 laps (100 for the women’s race). Anyone is welcome to race in the infamous competition, but only after completing their rookie year. This year, the riders are not the only ones in a rookie position.

Emily Carrico stepped into the role of Little 500 race Director for the 2023 annual bike race.

Carrico, an alumnus at Indiana University, competed in the race herself all four years when she was a student for the Ski and Snowboarding team. Even with being a cyclist all her life, she explains that stepping into an environment as large as this one would intimidate anyone.

“It’s a big deal, the pressure is on, and when you’re out there on the track and people are watching you and you see your teammate coming in…. you feel that pressure when you’re out there” said Carrico.

Being that she is a rookie herself in her position, she talked about feeling extra sentimental towards the rookie riders, as they are all experiencing something new together. She explains that one of her main focuses is to make them feel as comfortable with the format of the race as possible. This means practicing transitions, hand-offs, managing proper bike equipment, and logging at least 17 hours on the track over the course of two weeks.

“For rookie week, we really focus on- how do we make anyone who wants to be a part of this fantastic tradition and make sure that they have the skills to succeed and feel safe and confident on the track?” said Carrico.

The riders aren’t the only ones learned to be comfortable in their new seats. Carrico said that jumping into this new position has been a rollercoaster and never a part of her original post- college plans. After her time as a cyclist for the Little 500, she fell in love with the aspect of learning to keep you body safe and healthy- which led her to her background in nutrition.” However, she said that when Indiana University Student Foundation Director reached out to her with this opportunity, she decided to go back to where her journey all started.

What ultimately brought her back to the track was the impact the race had on her. She attributes much of her confidence and treasured college memories to the event and only hopes to be a part of giving that experience to anyone willing to hop on a bike.

Being Race Director, and a new rider for that matter, is no easy task. Nevertheless, after a few months under their belts in their new roles, they are all set to hit the ground running and enjoy the ride ahead.