| Ladds 500 | |
|---|---|
 The event in 2025 | |
| Status | Active |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Ladd's Addition |
| Location(s) | Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°30′31″N122°38′58″W / 45.508541°N 122.649415°W |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 2016 |
| Founder | David Barstow Robinson |
| Participants | Hundreds (2025) |
| Website | www |
The Ladds 500 is an annual cycling event in Portland, Oregon, United States.
The purpose of the non-competitive annual cycling event is to travel around a traffic circle in the Ladd's Addition district of southeast Portland's Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood 500 times, either individually or as part of a team. [1] [2] The free event has been described as a "relay" and not a race. [3] According to the organizer, 500 laps is a century, or 100 miles. Portland Monthly has included the Ladds 500 in a list of fifteen "essential" annual bike events in the city and said, "Riders form relay teams and 'turn left for a while,' while non-riders party in the middle." [4] The event operates as a project of fiscal sponsor Umbrella 501(c)(3), is funded by donations, and run by volunteers. [5] The phrase "It's spring, let's do something stupid" [6] (or simply "Let's do something stupid") is part of the event's marketing. [7] [8] The event is held annually on the Saturday after the second Friday in April.
The event was founded by David Barstow Robinson. [5] Approximately 40 people participated in the first event in 2016. By 2025, the event attracted hundreds of participants. [5] It has become popular enough that a permit from the Portland Bureau of Transportation is obtained to temporarily shut down vehicular traffic around the park where the event takes place. [5] [9]
