On Saturday, April 20, teams competed in the Little 5 Criterium Race, bringing an end to a lively week of Little 5 at DePauw.
Images by Christine Nguyen '27.
The Little 5 Race at DePauw is an annual cycling event inspired by the famous Little 500 race at Indiana University, which began in 1956 and is typically held in the spring, organized by students. However, Little 5 is not just a celebration of Tigers spirit; it is also a philanthropic event in collaboration with the United Way of Indiana to raise funds to provide integral literacy support to local students.
Little 5 is a week-long experience with various events such as Supermarket Sweep, Voting Initiatives, Time Trials, Blood Drive, etc., in which students have actively engaged and immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the event over the past week. Last but not least is the Criterium Race, eagerly anticipated by everyone. Each team typically consists of four to five riders, racing around the track for 25 laps and divided into three different groups: Alumni Race, Women’s Race, and Men’s Race. Immersed in the beautiful spring sun, the campus came alive with the warmth of the excitement and cheers for the riders, music, laughter and delicious food.
Little 5 leaves indescribable emotions in the hearts of participants. Elle Lewis '26, a rider of Alpha Phi, shared, "One of my favorite parts of training for Little 5 were the group rides we would go on. We would ride through Greencastle on the country roads and they were so much fun. I loved how supportive all of the girls were during the street sprint races and the criterium ride. We were all cheering each other on while riding and everyone was so happy for one another and truly wanted the best for each other.”
Similarly, Drake Goetten '27, a rider of Delta Upsilon, also had similar thoughts to share: “Little 5 has easily contributed to some of my best experiences at DePauw. As a member of DU, seeing the riders put in so much training over the past month and the rest of the brothers coming through for the philanthropy events was really special. Little 5 creates a strong sense of unity in the house, and it’s nice to know our hard work paid off.”
Little 5 concluded with Aaron Worley ‘21 taking first place in the Alumni Race, Charlie Menzel winning the Men’s Race, and Meredith Sierpina ‘24 winning the Women’s Race.