[ 2011-05-18 ]

London 2012 Olympics - torch relay route to begin at Land's End
The London 2012 Olympics torch relay route will
begin at Land's End and end its 8,000-mile tour of
the United Kingdom at the Olympic Stadium.

London (UK) - 18 May 2011 – The Telegraph - The
Olympic Flame arrive in the UK from Greece on 18th
May 2012 and the 70-day torch relay will begin in
Cornwall the morning after before ending at the
London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony on 27th
July.

Members of the public will be able to apply for
the chance to be one of the 8,000 torchbearers and
it is estimated that at some point 95 per cent of
the population will be within a one-hour journey
of the relay.

An average of 110 people a day will be able to
carry the flame with the torchbearer places shared
between the London organising committee for the
Olympic Games and its three relay sponsors,
Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.

As reported by Telegraph Sport on Tuesday, Locog
have placed the main focus on youth with half of
the places expected to be given to 12 to
24-year-olds considered "leading lights" in their
local communities.

Ninety per cent of the torchbearer places will be
made available to the public through a variety of
channels, including four public nomination
campaigns. To receive a place potential
torchbearers will require a story of personal
achievement or contribution to their local
community.

Locog's official 'Moment to Shine' nomination
portal is now live at
www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay and
nominators will need to submit up to 150 words on
why their nominee should carry the flame before
the window closes on June 29.

The three sponsored nomination programmes will
begin in June, with a similar nomination criteria
expected.

Locog has spent the last year devising a route
that takes in places of natural beauty, sports
venues and historic sites, while they are also
looking into the possibilities of taking the
Olympic Flame on a short visit to the Republic of
Ireland.

The flame will travel for approximately 12 hours a
day, with celebrations planned at the end of 66 of
the 70 days that local communities can take part
in. It is hoped the celebrations will help to
shift the mood in favour of the Olympics.

Locog chair Lord Sebastian Coe said: "Carrying the
Olympic Flame is an incredible honour and from
today people have the opportunity to reward
someone inspirational by nominating them to be
part of this historic event.

"This is a great occasion to give someone you
know, who has made a difference and who deserves
recognition, their moment to shine.

The Olympic Flame will shine a light right across
every nation and region of the UK and showcase the
very best of who we are and where we live.

"The first locations on the route confirmed today
give a flavour of the reach the Olympic Torch
Relay will have around the UK and how extensive
the opportunity for starting to celebrate the
London 2012 Olympic Games will be."

The relay will also visit six islands – the Isle
of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Shetland, Orkney and the
Isle of Lewis.

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the
Olympics, added: "The Olympic Torch Relay brings
London 2012 to the doorsteps of the UK giving
everybody the chance to celebrate the London
Games.

"It’s a magnificent showcase for the country and
a chance to mark the achievements of inspirational
people in our communities."

Source - The Telegraph

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