The first official Smathers Centennial 5K race was held on Sunday, October 26 at 8am outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. More than 255 runners and walkers made their way through campus to visit all six campus libraries. Runners made their way down Gale Lemerand to reach the Health Science Center Library, then up the steep and relentless Newell Drive to eventually head east and under the 13th Street tunnel to the Education Library. Up the ramp to the Architecture and Fine Arts Library, runners pass the oldest library, Smathers, and then popular Library West. Marston Science Library is the last library they pass as they run through Turlington Plaza and back to the starting line. First developed in the spring of 2024 as a route for runners to run at their leisure, this year the Libraries held the 5K as an official race and invited the entire University of Florida community.
The original concept was developed by library communications intern, Ksina Valdes, now a first year student at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Ksina, a hobbyist runner, designed the route as her major project for the Libraries. In 2024, runners were encouraged to run the race during National Libraries Week, hosted by The American Library Association. There were around 40 participants who ran the race on their own time, sent in selfies as proof of completion and earned a Smathers 5K t-shirt and sticker.
Participants of all ages arrived in the early hours on Sunday morning, excited to celebrate 100 years of Libraries. WUFT and the Independent Florida Alligator came out to cover the event, eager to share good news and community. This was a challenging route logistically for the University of Florida campus, as the race crosses multiple intersections and requires police supervision at all crossings. UF Business Services assisted the Libraries in making this an official campus route that future organizations can choose from as they host their own 5Ks.
The Libraries hosted multiple events throughout the year to celebrate the centennial of the first dedicated library building on campus. To learn more about the centennial, visit https://uflib.ufl.edu/centennial/. To see all 5K photos, click here.
