The human eye can see millions of colors, but on University Avenue Friday afternoon, the only two that seemed to matter were orange and blue.
About 60,000 onlookers came out to observe the 86th annual Homecoming Parade and dressed almost exclusively in Gators garb as they set up canopies, unfolded lawn chairs and huddled on street curbs to view the spectacle, forming a dichromatic sea on either side of the avenue.
Before the parade, Gators fans ran, walked, skipped and biked their ways to the finish line for the 26th annual Gator Gallop, a two-mile race down University Avenue that kicks off the Homecoming Parade.
"Obviously people [who] live here know it's a tradition," said Chris Walker, director of Gator Gallop. "Gainesville is a running city."
The race started at the Percy Beard Track on campus and continued down University Avenue to Sixth Street and back around to Second Street.
As runners raced down University, their parents and children waved and clapped with the crowd.
"It helped having them cheer," said Jordann Sauls, a Santa Fe junior. She decided to run the race for fun with her husband.
The race was split up into two separate groups. Participants who ran with children or dogs and those who walked or rode bicycles began the race at 11:15 a.m. Those who ran and timed themselves started 15 minutes later.
Chris Trebilcock, one of this year's winners, said it was the second time he ran in Gator Gallop and used it as an opportunity to have fun and keep in shape.
"It's always good to come out and run races," he said.
Other racers participated just for fun and to support the Gators.
"It's gonna be fun being part of the parade," UF freshman Eleanor McKenna said before the race.
The first male and female racers in the second group to cross the finish line received a trophy. All of the participants received Gator Gallop T-shirts before the race.
Walker said he was worried that the early morning rain on Saturday would cause some problems, but the weather cleared.
"I'm just really happy," Walker said. "Everything went according to plan."
At noon, 18 police officers on motorcycles revved their engines, signaling the start of the parade. Behind them came a caravan of police vehicles with blue and red lights flashing and sirens blaring.
The parade, which was organized by Florida Blue Key and consisted of 136 units, is the largest of its kind in the nation and was broadcast to 300,000 television viewers, according to a press release.
Parade participants, including people on floats, riders and walkers, made their way from the starting point on Gale Lemerand Drive to the final destination on the Bo Diddley Community Plaza downtown. UF and Santa Fe College clubs and organizations, in addition to local high schools, businesses and community groups, also participated.
UF's Fightin' Gator Marching Band entertained the crowds with favorite stadium tunes as the UF cheerleaders chanted while sitting on top of a fire truck.
The parade was also featured prominent figures from the Gainesville community and Florida. Grand marshal and 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and UF Student Government officers all sat in convertibles and waved to the crowd.
Bill Nelson, a Florida senator, rode down University Avenue in a 1955 Ford Thunderbird.
Nelson, who attended UF between 1960 and 1962 before transferring to Yale University, still describes himself as a Gator at heart.
"The traditions have remained the same," Nelson said, "but [UF] has increased the quality of its faculty and the quality of its education."
He also believes that the athletic programs have strengthened over the years.
"Back then, we could have never dreamed of being a national champion in football or basketball," Nelson said.
Fans relaxed and enjoyed the parade, unaware the Gators would narrowly dodge a loss at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday.
"No matter if we win or not, I'm still really happy to be a part of [The University of Florida]," said business administration sophomore Ashley Weisenfeld.
