Photos: 2020 Little 500 Cyclocross

The Little 500 bicycle race is a spring tradition at Indiana University. Complementing the spring race is a fall racing series, which includes a cyclocross event. The women’s races were run Saturday. Men’s races are set for Sunday, starting at 1 p.m.

The course through the tailgating field just south of the Indiana University football stadium is laid out with orange “Happy Halloween” tape. It includes places where riders are forced to dismount and then navigate an obstacle like a sand pit or a set of hurdles. Teams of two riders compete in the race, alternating laps for a total of 12.

Plowing through the uneven turf of the field and maintaining a straight line on a standard-issue Little 5 bicycle makes cyclocross an event that’s a test of sheer power. Temperatures on Saturday had climbed from freezing in the early morning to the mid-50s by 1 p.m. when the racing started. Some of the colorful fall foliage remained on the trees, but much of it was already sprinkled across the green carpet of the tailgate field. It was a spectacular fall day—the kind you see in picture books. So here’s some pictures.

Same photos in one layout