Although it is technically not a race, Gator Gallop is without a doubt one of my favorite runs to participate in. Not because of the distance (it’s only two miles) and not because of the course (it goes down University Avenue). The excitement is the kickoff to homecoming weekend at the University of Florida.
The weekend starts on Friday morning with the traditional homecoming parade. The parade starts at 11:30 am, with Gator Gallop leading the way before the floats come through. Later that evening is Gator Growl, which is the largest student produced pep rally. If that weren’t enough, the weekend concludes on Saturday with the football game (although this year is not the best of times).
We typically drive up Thursday night and make our way to our “spot,” which is right in front of Leonardo’s around 10 am. When I got up in the morning, I was surprised to see the temperature was a brisk 43 degrees. No worries; I brought a long sleeve shirt and a jacket to run in. Lindsey’s roommate Marisa and her friend Hannah decided to run with me, so we picked up the whole clan at her apartment.
The race…I mean run (old habits are hard to break) begins in front of Percy Beard Track, which is about one mile from Leonardo’s. As the three of us made our way to the start, the crowd was already out in full force. All the schools in Gainesville close for homecoming, and parents love to bring their kids to the event. We picked up our shirts and bibs, and did some pre-race stretching. There are about 1,500 people who enter the run, including parents pushing strollers, skaters and lots of walkers. There is no real official timing of this run, but they do give a modest cash prize to the person who finishes first (not me). Since I don’t typically run a distance this short, my only measuring stick to set a PR is the Gator Gallops I have run in previous years.
As the run starts, it’s very cool seeing all the ACRs (Alachua County Residents) lined up in the street. They are very enthusiastic in cheering everyone on. I was a little sore at first from my eleven mile run on Wednesday, but there is no time to relax when you’re only running two miles. When I got to Glenda and Lindsey, I had loosened up and was ready to take it home. I had Lindsey shoot some video of me running instead of taking still pictures. I crossed the finish line strong, setting a new PR and ready to sit for two hours as the parade was starting.
The only thing missing was my daughter Rachel, who was at a convention this year.
KEEP TRACK OF MY RUNNING ON
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