Santa Fe College Hosts Run, Walk and Roll

Gainesville first responders and Santa Fe College held the 11th annual community event with laps, donuts and a bomb squad suit demonstration.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Civic

Red running track curving around a green infield beneath tall pines and a campus building edge in soft morning light. — Gainesville first responders and Santa Fe College held the 11th annual Run, Walk and Roll community event on the college track, with laps, donuts and a bomb squad suit demonstration. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Santa Fe College partnered with local first responders for the 11th annual Run, Walk and Roll with a Cop event on its track. Attendees ran laps, mingled with participating teams, including the Gainesville Police Department and the Alachua County Bomb Squad, and ate donuts.

Why it matters

The event gives Gainesville residents a direct, low-barrier way to meet local first responders in a community setting. Its annual timing around Veterans Day makes it a recurring fixture on the local calendar.

The source reports the event as the 11th annual edition, but gives no attendance figures or prior-year comparison. The number of participants and the full list of responding agencies beyond the police department and bomb squad were not reported.

The players

Santa Fe College

Santa Fe College is a public college in Gainesville, Florida, that hosted the event on its track.

Gainesville Police Department

The Gainesville Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency serving the city of Gainesville, Florida.

Alachua County Bomb Squad

The Alachua County Bomb Squad is the explosive-ordnance unit serving Alachua County, Florida, and took part in the event.

The details

Attendees ran laps around the Santa Fe College track before mingling with first responders and eating donuts. Visitors could also try on a bomb squad suit, with Krispy Kreme donuts given as a reward.

Held annually around Veterans Day; this year's edition was reported on November 10, 2026.

Civic Context

The event follows the national Run with a Cop community-policing model, which pairs residents and officers in informal exercise to build trust. This Gainesville edition extends that format by renaming it Run, Walk and Roll and adding a bomb squad suit demonstration.

Residents who want to meet local officers and bomb squad members can attend the annual event held on the Santa Fe College track around Veterans Day. The gathering offers a free, family-friendly way to see first responder equipment up close.

The takeaway

Community events like this one give residents a chance to see local responders in a relaxed setting, which can build familiarity before any emergency occurs. Checking the college's calendar each fall is the simplest way to plan attendance.