Once April hits, it is only a matter of time until the biggest event at Indiana University sets off.
The beer and hard liquor have been already flowing like water running through the Jordan River on a rainy day. But the bicycle training has been ongoing since day one of school, because this particular bike training is a commitment of a full year.
The Little 500, 200 laps around a cinder track in Bill Armstrong Stadium, thirty-three teams with riders of three-to-four per team, all competing in a grueling two hours of their lives only to fulfill that one goal, winning.
The event in a way is a pure marketing tool that stands as one of the many reasons 40,000 undergraduates and graduates choose Indiana University. So many young kids want to experience that special feeling that The Little 500 brings.
The Little 500, an annual event, always occurs in the third week of April when the school comes together for one weekend to cheer on their allegiances to their fraternity or independent squads.
(Independent teams are those who are not affiliated with a Greek house, but choose to participate in the race. Team Cutters is an example of an independent team which, for the past four years, has won the title).
To be part of this tradition, whether as a fan or a rider, is hard to describe. To be honest, it is just something you have to experience for yourself.
Over the years, the Little 500 has transformed not only into a bicycle race, but a week full of drinking leading up to the weekend races on Friday and Saturday. Sure there are those that think the consumption levels are nauseating, but it is college and that is what college kids do best.
Regardless of the drinking, there is one thing that makes the Little 500 so special, the camaraderie that is forged between friends. All the drinking and loudness that the students display can be aggravating, but in just one week 40,000 undergraduates and graduates come together like no other.
I got the chance to interview an ex-Little 500 rider and great friend, Matt Cin, and speaking with him anyone can gain such a true meaning of what it is like to be a part of the race.
When I asked Matt what was it like to compete in the Little 500, he spoke of such a unique fulfillment and how nothing else could match the feeling of competing in the race.
“Competing in the Little 500 is hands down the most unique, rewarding, and memorable experience I have ever had,” he said.
Matt spoke of a lot about participating in the race but more so, focused his attention on the true value it all had because of his brother, Jordan.
Matt and his brother Jordan grew up only a year apart, which to Matt is a meaningful part of his life as they have become each other’s best friends. Growing up, they rarely played sports together; Matt was a swimmer in high school and Jordan was a baseball player.
Both Matt and Jordan were never serious bicycle riders, and the thought of riding for their fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, seemed absurd. But because of their hunger for competition, the two brothers chose to take on the challenge of the Little 500.
When I asked Matt, what was his greatest gratification for The Little 500, he simply answered with, Qualifications but also finishing the race.
Although it was such a great achievement for Matt, the team, and our fraternity to qualify, the resiliency of the Cin brothers knew that qualifying was not satisfactory. Their competitive personalities drove them to believe they could improve during the race.
ZBT finished 24th out of 33, not a great achievement to some. But for the Cin brothers, the team and a fraternity, a success.
Matt also reflected strongly on his experiences with Jordan and how meaningful it was for him to participate with him.
“It was special, I would want my brother, Jordan, right there with me,” Matt said. “All our lives we played different sports, we have always been close, but never shared any sport together. Nothing like this. I don’t think I’d want to ride without him.”
That very bond between two brothers is what makes this whole experience so special. It is not only a bond between the Cin brothers, but also a bond between two friends, two teammates and two fraternity brothers.
This relationship is part of every single undergraduate, graduate and alum that has experienced The Little 500.
Since 1951 when the Little 500 was founded, it has brought friends together, Greek houses together. But most of all, it has united a school.
It has given meaning to what being a “Hoosier” is like to any student or alumni. Of course, everyone has different experiences of the race, but we all come together in Bill Armstrong stadium to contribute to the tradition of the Little 500.
It is amazing how just one race between 33 teams for two hours on a Saturday afternoon can bring a student body of 40,000 together.
No other school can compare.
On Saturday at 2 p.m., the campus will be a ghost town, but Bill Armstrong Stadium will be wild, loud and full students cheering on their allegiances to their riders.
But just remember that being a part of IU is special. Embrace it, because the camaraderie during Little 500 is unbeatable.
