Benjamin Hunter. Each spring, Indiana University welcomes thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community to join us for Little 500, the largest collegiate bicycle race in the country. This year, we’ll also celebrate the 35-year anniversary of the women’s race.

During race weekend, there will be around 15,000 people gathered at Bill Armstrong Stadium to cheer on the 240 cyclists participating in the event.

For most of the IU community, Little 500 is an event that happens over a weekend, yet the race begins more than a year in advance for the student cyclists, volunteers, IU Student Foundation, IU Public Safety, University Events, IU Athletics, The Media School, Student Affairs and community partners — including the Bloomington Police Department and Indiana State Police — whose teamwork makes the event possible.

Safety is the top priority in all the careful planning and preparation for the event to ensure all who join us can enjoy this special weekend. From raking and painting the track and fixing loose bike chains to running an emergency operations center throughout the race, the same spirit of collaboration it takes to compete in Little 500 is shared by all who have worked to organize the event.

Emily Carrico. Ahead of the race, IU Public Safety hosted tabletop exercises that included numerous IU and community partners. These are designed to help organizations consider policies, plans and decision-making during an emergency as well as create opportunities for coordination and communication among campus stakeholders and develop proactive strategies.

During the event, riders are expected to navigate the track safely and follow directions signaled by the colored flags — all areas they’ve been trained on well in advance in coordination with the IU Student Foundation. Medical support is present on the track infield with multiple physicians and nurses to assist as needed.

As we look forward to this year’s iconic event, we hope you’ll do your part to keep us all safe. If you witness something that may be a threat to public safety, report it by calling 911 or the IU Police Department at 812-855-4111. Check your settings for IU Notify and download the Guardian safety app to make sure you receive announcements and guidance.

We’ll see you at the stadium soon for another great year of Little 500 festivities.

Emily Carrico is assistant director of Little 500 races with the IU Student Foundation and Benjamin D. Hunter is associate vice president and superintendent for public safety.