The 8th running, no pun intended, of the Little 50 runners race was Thursday night at Bloomington High School North. 25 teams competed in each of a mens and womens race. Team Team Crimson won the womens race, and Los Corredores won the mens race.
The Womens Little 500 was Friday afternoon and we were so happy the clouds and rain held off for a gorgeous late afternoon race. Although much of the race was close among top contenders Teter, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Alpha Gamma Delta, Teter junior Caitlin Van Kooten pulled ahead and won the race with a more than a quarter of a lap lead.
The Mens Little 500 was the most exciting sporting event I went to all year. The close competition, close hand-offs, and seemingly constant changes in leaders held my attention for all 200 laps and made for a fantastic race. Yet the rain that poured for the final 120 laps is what will make the race so memorable for me. It was the first time in Little 500 history that a race had been postponed (and almost ended) after the critical half-way point where the race could officially be called due to rain.
ESPN was there. 9 IDS photographers were there. Radio Stations and news crews from all over campus, the city and state were there. Playing witness to Teter finally break their pole curse and win, the Cutters be the first team in Little 500 history to win the fourth year in a row, and have the Greatest Weekend in College almost meet its match: Mother Nature. It was something else, a new take on an old tradition, and I'm glad I was there.
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