The point at which one torchbearer gives the torch to the next torchbearer is called the kissing point, (because the torches have to touch or ‘kiss’ to allow the flame to be passed on). Others will be great athletes.Įach torchbearer runs approximately 300 metres.

Many have inspirational stories, having raised money for charities or overcome personal difficulties, such as disabilities. These torchbearers will have been chosen or nominated by people in their communities. 8000 people will have carried the torch in which the flame burns. It is then taken to the host country where the Olympic torch relay commences.Īt the end of its relay in the UK, the Olympic flame will have passed through 1019 cities, towns and villages. Here, the flame is officially handed over to the host city. After a short tour around Greece, there is another ceremony, this time at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, which was used in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It is lit from the sun’s rays at the Temple of Hera in Olympia in a ceremony. Nowadays, before every Olympic Games, there is a special ritual for the lighting of the flame. During these Games, a sacred flame burned on the altar of the goddess Hera, who was queen of the gods and wife of Zeus. The flame, whether in the torch or the cauldron, represents a link with the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. The relay will end on July 27 th when the flame will be used to light the cauldron during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium, Stratford, London. This is so that as many people as possible may view the flame as it passes from town to village. The relay has been specially planned so that 95% of the population live within one hour of its route. The idea behind the relay is to bring the Olympic flame, which is the symbol of the Olympics, to the people of the host nation. (The opening ceremony is on Friday, 27 th July.) So what is the Olympic Torch Relay and why is it done? This tour, called the Olympic Torch Relay, is an important part of the build-upto the Olympic Games. The flame then spent two days in Cambridge – days 50 and 51 of a 70-day tour of the UK. Held by a runner in the specially designed Olympic torch, it approached the city centre along streets lined with over 8,000 cheering spectators. On Saturday, July 7 th, 2012, the Olympic flame arrived in Cambridge.

London olympic torch