Host city | Paris, France |
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Countries visited | Greece, France |
Start date | 16 April 2024 |
End date | 26 July 2024 |
Part of a series on |
2024 Summer Olympics |
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The 2024 Summer Olympic torch relay will run from 16 April 2024 until 26 July 2024. [1] [2] After it is lit in Olympia, Greece, the torch will then travel through Greece, arriving at Athens on 26 April. It will sail across the Mediterranean on the three-masted barque Belem to Marseille on 9 May and begin its travel across France. The French leg will end during the Opening Ceremony when the Olympic cauldron will be lit. It is expected that the Paris 2024 cauldron will be erected at the Jardins du Trocadéro stadium.
The flame was lit in Olympia on 16 April and will travel across Greece until it arrives in Athens on 26 April. [3]
Each day, the relay will cover a different territory. Several towns receive the flame, as well as one or two iconic places, such as historical places or natural landmarks. One or two team relays also take place: 24 participants, led by a captain and representing an Olympic or Paralympic french sports federation, carry the flame together for a leg. Each daily relay ends in a stage town, where a mini-cauldron is lit and celebrations take place.
Territory | Route | Map |
---|---|---|
Marseille | 8 May 2024 (prologue): Marseille 9 May 2024 (day 1): Marseille
| |
Var | 10 May 2024 (day 2): Toulon | |
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 11 May 2024 (day 3): Manosque | |
Bouches-du-Rhône | 12 May 2024 (day 4): Arles | |
Millau - Sète - Montpellier | 13 May 2024 (day 5): Montpellier | |
Corsica | 14 May 2024 (day 6): Bastia | |
Pyrénées-Orientales | 15 May 2024 (day 7): Perpignan | |
Aude | 16 May 2024 (day 8): Carcassonne
| |
Haute-Garonne | 17 May 2024 (day 9): Toulouse | |
Gers | ||
Hautes-Pyrénées | 19 May 2024 (day 11): Tarbes | |
Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 20 May 2024 (day 12): Pau
| |
Dordogne | 22 May 2024 (day 13): Périgueux | |
Bordeaux and Libournais | 23 May 2024 (day 14): Bordeaux | |
Charente | 24 May 2024 (day 15): Angoulême | |
Vienne | 25 May 2024 (day 16): Grand Poitiers-Futuroscope | |
Indre | 27 May 2024 (day 17): Châteauroux | |
Maine-et-Loire | 28 May 2024 (day 18): Angers | |
Mayenne | 29 May 2024 (day 19): Laval | |
Calvados | 30 May 2024 (day 20): Caen
| |
Manche | 31 May 2024 (day 21): Mont-Saint-Michel | |
Ille-et-Vilaine | 1 June 2024 (day 22): Rennes | |
Deux-Sèvres | 2 June 2024 (day 23): Niort | |
Vendée | 4 June 2024 (day 24): Les Sables-d'Olonne | |
Between Loire and Atlantique | 5 June 2024 (day 25): La Baule | |
Morbihan | 6 June 2024 (day 26): Vannes | |
Finistère | 7 June 2024 (day 27): Brest |
Territory | Route | Map |
---|---|---|
French Guiana | 9 June 2024 (day 28): Cayenne | |
New Caledonia | 11 June 2024 (day 29): Noumea | |
Réunion | 12 June 2024 (day 30): Saint-Denis | |
French Polynesia | ||
Guadeloupe | 15 June 2024 (day 32): Baie-Mahault | |
Martinique | 17 June 2024 (day 33): Fort-de-France |
Territory | Route | Map |
---|---|---|
Alpes-Maritimes | 18 June 2024 (day 34): Nice
| |
Vaucluse | 19 June 2024 (day 35): Avignon | |
Drôme | 20 June 2024 (day 36): Valence | |
Vichy | 21 June 2024 (day 37): Vichy
| |
Loire | 22 June 2024 (day 38): Saint-Étienne | |
Haute-Savoie | 23 June 2024 (day 39): Chamonix | |
Doubs | 25 June 2024 (day 40): Besançon | |
European Collectivity of Alsace | 26 June 2024 (day 41): Strasbourg | |
Moselle | 27 June 2024 (day 42): Metz | |
Haute-Marne | 28 June 2024 (day 43): Saint-Dizier | |
Meuse | 29 June 2024 (day 44): Verdun | |
Marne | 30 June 2024 (day 45): Reims | |
Nord | 2 July 2024 (day 46): Lille | |
Pas-de-Calais | 3 July 2024 (day 47): Lens-Liévin | |
Somme | 4 July 2024 (day 48): Amiens | |
Seine-Maritime | ||
Eure | 6 July 2024 (day 50): Vernon | |
C'Chartres | 7 July 2024 (day 51): Chartres | |
Loir-et-Cher | 8 July 2024 (day 52): Blois | |
Loiret | 10 July 2024 (day 53): Orléans | |
Yonne | 11 July 2024 (day 54): Auxerre | |
Côte-d'Or | 12 July 2024 (day 55): Dijon | |
Aube | 13 July 2024 (day 56): Troyes |
Territory | Route | Map |
---|---|---|
Aisne | 17 July 2024 (day 59): Saint-Quentin | |
Oise | 18 July 2024 (day 60): Beauvais | |
Val-d'Oise | 19 July 2024 (day 61): Soisy-sous-Montmorency | |
Seine-et-Marne | 20 July 2024 (day 62): Meaux | |
Val-de-Marne | ||
Essonne | 22 July 2024 (day 64): Évry-Courcouronnes | |
Yvelines | 23 July 2024 (day 65): Versailles | |
Hauts-de-Seine | 24 July 2024 (day 66): Nanterre | |
Seine-Saint-Denis | 25 July 2024 (day 67): La Courneuve |
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The flame then continues to burn in the cauldron for the duration of the Games, until it is extinguished during the Olympic closing ceremony.
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China. The relay, also called by the organizers as the "Journey of Harmony", lasted 129 days and carried the torch 137,000 km (85,000 mi) – the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay since the tradition was started ahead of the 1936 Summer Olympics.
The 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay was a 106-day run, from October 30, 2009, until February 12, 2010, prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Plans for the relay were originally announced November 21, 2008, by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). Communities were initially informed in June 2008, but the locations were not announced for "security reasons". Exact routes were later announced several weeks before the start of the torch relay.
The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 19 May until 27 July, prior to the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The torch bearer selection process was announced on 18 May 2011.
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics torch relay was run from 23 July until 14 August 2010, prior to the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics held in Singapore. The torch relay was termed The Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame, or JYOF, by the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC). It began with the traditional flame lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece on 23 July 2010, and was followed by a 13-day round the world tour across five cities, namely Berlin, Germany; Dakar, Senegal; Mexico City, Mexico; Auckland, New Zealand; and Seoul, South Korea. Following the international leg, the torch arrived in host city Singapore on 6 August 2010 for the domestic leg.
The 2002 Winter Olympics torch relay was a 65-day run, from December 4, 2001, until February 8, 2002, prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics. The runners carried the Olympic Flame throughout the United States – following its lighting in Olympia, Greece, to the opening ceremony of the 2002 games at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 2002 torch relay was also the 50th anniversary of the Winter Olympic torch relay, which was first run during the 1952 Winter Olympics.
The 1948 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 17 July until 29 July 1948, prior to the 1948 Summer Olympics, held in London, United Kingdom. The relay was nicknamed the "relay of peace". It was only the second occasion that a torch relay was held for the Olympics; the first was at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Though the whole event was eventually cancelled due to the outbreak of war, the 1940 Summer Olympics torch relay was planned for both of the proposed host cities. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the 1940 Summer Olympics to Tokyo, Japan in July 1936. Tokyo's ability to host the event was questioned after war broke out with China with some countries calling for the Games to be boycotted. The Japanese decided to cancel the event and Helsinki, Finland, the runner-up city in the bidding process, was selected as the replacement. That too was cancelled after the outbreak of World War II.
The 1976 Summer Olympics torch relay celebrated the first time that a Canadian city had hosted the Games. Convention states that the flame should be lit at Olympia in Greece and then transported to Athens, making its way onwards to the host city. On this occasion a signal was sent via satellite to transmit the flame to Ottawa where it would then make its way to the 1976 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Montreal and a second ceremony in Kingston, Ontario.
The 1968 Summer Olympics torch relay took part as part of the build-up to the 1968 Summer Olympics hosted in Mexico City, Mexico. The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, and retraced the steps of Christopher Columbus, discoverer of the New World. This theme celebrated the link between Latin-American and Mediterranean civilizations.
The 2000 Summer Olympics torch relay was the transferral of the Olympic Flame to Sydney, Australia, that built up to the 2000 Summer Olympics. The torch travelled to various island nations as part of a tour of Oceania before beginning an extensive journey around Australia. For the first time the Flame was taken underwater, with a special flare-like torch taken on a dive down to the Great Barrier Reef. At the opening ceremony the cauldron was lit by Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman.
The 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from April 27, 1996, until July 19, 1996, prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The route covered 26,875 kilometers (16,699 mi) across the United States and included a trek on the Pony Express, a ride on the Union Pacific Railroad, and a torch was taken into outer space for the first time. The relay involved over 12,000 torchbearers, including Muhammad Ali, who was chosen to ignite the Olympic cauldron.
The 1984 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from May 8 until July 28, prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It was commonly referred to as the AT&T Olympic Torch Relay, reflecting the lead sponsor of the event. The relay crossed the United States from New York City to Los Angeles, with 3,636 torchbearers running with the torch along a 9,375-mile (15,088 km) route. It was by far the longest Olympic torch relay that had been organized up to that point, creating the precedent for the Olympic flame to tour all parts of the host country rather than traveling directly to the opening ceremony.
The 2016 Summer Olympics torch relay which ran from 21 April until 5 August 2016. After being lit in Olympia, Greece, the torch traveled to Athens on the 27 April. The Brazilian leg began in the capital, Brasília, and ended in Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium, the main venue of the 2016 Olympics. After having visited more than 300 Brazilian cities, including all 26 state capitals and the Federal District. The end of the relay was the closing to the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
The 2018 Winter Olympics torch relay was run from October 24, 2017, until February 9, 2018, in advance of the 2018 Winter Olympics. After being lit in Olympia, Greece, the torch traveled to Athens on 31 October. The torch began its Korean journey on 1 November, visiting all regions of Korea. The Korean leg began in Incheon International Airport: the torch travelled across the country for 101 days. 7,500 relay runners participated in the torch relay over a distance of 2,018 km. The torchbearers each carried the flame for 200 metres. The relay ended in Pyeongchang's Olympic Stadium, the main venue of the 2018 Olympics. The final torch was lit by figure skater Yuna Kim.
The 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay was held from 12 March 2020 and ended on 23 July 2021. After being lit in Olympia, Greece, the torch was handed over to the Olympic shooting Gold medallist Anna Korakaki, who became the relay originating Olympian woman of the 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay. It was then transported to Athens on 19 March by official airliner Japan Airlines. The Japanese leg began in Fukushima, and is scheduled to end in Tokyo's New National Stadium, the main venue of the 2020 Olympics. It makes a tour of Japanese cities, including all 47 prefecture capitals. The torch is even scheduled to go to two remote island groups which are part of Tokyo. The end of the relay was the finale of the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony on 23 July 2021. Toyota, NTT, ENEOS, Nippon Life, JAL, ANA and Japan Post Holdings are the presenting partners of the relay, with the slogan being "Hope Lights Our Way".
The 2008 Summer Olympics cauldron is the Olympic flame holder that was used during the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. It was first lit on August 8, 2008, as part of the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and last extinguished as part of the closing ceremony of the games of the Paralympics on September 17. Originally located on the inside roof of the Beijing National Stadium, it was relocated to outside the stadium on the Olympic Green following the completion of the Games.
The 1952 Summer Olympics torch relay was the symbolic transport of the Olympic flame from Olympia, Greece, to the venue of the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, where it featured as part of the opening ceremony.
The 2022 Winter Olympics torch relay was run from 18 October 2021 until 4 February 2022. After it was lit in Olympia, Greece, the torch traveled in a symbolic relay to Athens on 19 October. The Chinese leg ended in Beijing National Stadium, at the end of the opening ceremony. On 20 October 2021, it was announced that the Chinese leg will have only three days, following a series of displays of the flame in various Chinese cities, starting on 2 February, at the morning of the first day of the Chinese New Year as stage 3. Unlike the previous relays, the relay only visited the three venues clusters, the main sights of Beijing and the city of Zhangjiakou. The final torch was lit by long-distance runner Dilnigar Ilhamjan and nordic combined Zhao Jiawen.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics is scheduled to take place on 26 July 2024 in Paris, starting at 19:30 CEST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings will include an artistic program showcasing the culture of the host country and city, the parade of athletes and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. The Games will be formally opened by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.