A small cluster gathered around library employee Jami Beserock, her orange Walking Gators T-shirt signaling their usual meeting spot outside Smathers Library.
Once the Century Tower bells chimed to signal 12:15 p.m., the group of about seven walkers took off at a brisk pace, their footsteps punctuating idle conversation.
Walking Gators, a Healthy Gators-sponsored program for faculty, staff and students, kicked off its fall semester Tuesday.
The routes are about 1.5 miles and take 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Walks take place between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
This year, the program has added two new off-campus routes, said Jane Emmerée, Walking Gators program coordinator.
"UF employees don't only work on campus, so we have a route in Citra," she said. "We also just created a route last week for persons who work off of Waldo Road."
Each route can have anywhere between three and 15 participants, she said.
The program lasts for eight to 10 weeks throughout the fall and spring semesters.
The goal of Walking Gators, which began in January 2008, is for people to relieve stress, meet other people and get physical exercise, Emmerée said.
"When you sit all day, you need something to get away from your desk," said Beserock, who has been a route leader for more than two years. "The older you get, the more walking becomes a good form of exercise, and that's kind of how I got started."
Library employee Terri Smith said she started coming out last year because even though she already had an exercise regimen, she wanted an opportunity to meet people. After taking a brief hiatus, she decided to return for the fall to try it again.
"I already did exercise, but I knew I needed more, and this is a way to be with different kinds of people," she said.
Walking Gators is open to all, although it is aimed more at employees who work together, Emmerée said.
Despite a lack of student interest, Walking Gators has maintained a steady base of employees who are dedicated to the program.
"It's interesting to see how many want to brave the cold or the rain in the winter when it's really cold and people are all bundled up and still walking our route," Beserock said.
Walking Gators has seven captains and 20 leaders and functions entirely on volunteer efforts, according to Emmerée. Since the program began, participants have collectively walked more than 10,000 miles.
"It's a very grassroots effort," she said. "We can't do it without the captains and the leaders. These are volunteers doing this on their own lunch hour. They are a wonderful group of people."
