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George Vlahakis
IU Media Relations
gvlahaki@indiana.edu
812-855-0846

Rob Rhamy
Little 500 race director
rrhamy@indiana.edu
812-855-9152

Last modified: Thursday, March 24, 2005

Qualifications for Little 500 races this Saturday

Photo by: Chris Meyer/ IU Home Pages

Print-Quality Photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Cycling fans and the public are invitied to Indiana University's Armstrong Stadium on Saturday for qualifications for the 2005 men's and women's Little 500 races.

In addition to the action on the track, there will be several family-oriented activities available, including a rock climbing wall, wrestling in inflated sumo wrestling suits, a bean-bag toss and a bungee run. The Kodak NASCAR race car also will be on display, and a photopher will be there to take pictures of people inside the vehicle.

Admission is free for qualifications, which will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

Little 500, now in its 55th year, is the nation's largest collegiate intramural cycling event and was featured in an Academy Award-winning film, Breaking Away, more than 25 years ago. Participants train all year to compete. In 1997, Lance Armstrong attended the race and said, "I've attended Super Bowls, World Series and the Monaco Grand Prix, but the coolest event I ever attended was the Little 500."

Little 500 qualifications generate their own excitement as they determine the 33 teams who will compete in the men's and women's races. Teams must complete four laps around the cinder track, each rider doing one lap. Smooth bike exchanges and quick single-lap speed are essential for a good qualification time.

The women's Little 500 will take place at 4 p.m. on April 15 and the men's Little 500 will begin at 2 p.m. on April 16. Other Little 500-related events include the individual time trials on April 2, the Miss-N-Out competition on April 2, the Team Pursuit competition on April 7, all at Armstrong Stadium, and the Little Fifty foot race on April 9 at IU's Haugh Outdoor Track Complex. Access to Armstrong Stadium and Haugh Track is off North Fee Lane, and parking is available adjacent to the Gladstein Fieldhouse and IU Assembly Hall.

Tickets for Little 500 events are $20 and are available through Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster locations include the IU Auditorium Box Office, and the Indiana Memorial Union Student Activities Desk. Go to https://www.iusf.org for more information.