2012 Summer Olympics torch relay

Simplified 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay route map. The curve does not follow the actual route but merely shows the progress of the torch through the places labelled as follows:

Legend

England 1. Land's End Day 1, Sat 19 May 2. Plymouth Day 1, Sat 19 May 3. Exeter Day 2, Sun 20 May 4. Taunton Day 3, Mon 21 May 5. Bristol Day 4, Tue 22 May 6. Cheltenham Day 5, Wed 23 May 7. Worcester Day 6, Thu 24 May 8. Malvern Day 7, Fri 25 May Wales 9. Cardiff Day 7, Fri 25 May 10. Swansea Day 8, Sat 26 May 11. Aberystwyth Day 9, Sun 27 May 12. Bangor Day 10, Mon 28 May England 13. Chester Day 11, Tue 29 May 14. Stoke-on-Trent Day 12, Wed 30 May 15. Bolton Day 13, Thu 31 May 16. Liverpool Day 14, Fri 1 June Crown Dependency 17. Isle of Man Day 15, Sat 2 June Northern Ireland 18. Portrush Day 16, Sun 3 June 19. Derry Day 17, Mon 4 June 20. Newry Day 18, Tue 5 June Republic of Ireland 21. Dublin Day 19, Wed 6 June Northern Ireland 22. Belfast Day 19, Wed 6 June Scotland 23. Glasgow Day 21, Fri 8 June 24. Inverness Day 22, Sat 9 June 25. Orkney Day 23, Sun 10 June 26. Shetland Day 23, Sun 10 June 27. Isle of Lewis Day 24, Mon 11 June 28. Aberdeen Day 24, Mon 11 June 29. Dundee Day 25, Tue 12 June 30. Edinburgh Day 26, Wed 13 June England 31. Alnwick Day 27, Thu 14 June 32. Newcastle-upon-Tyne Day 28, Fri 15 June 33. Durham Day 29, Sat 16 June 34. Middlesbrough Day 30, Sun 17 June 35. Kingston-upon-Hull Day 31, Mon 18 June 36. York Day 32, Tue 19 June 37. Carlisle Day 33, Wed 20 June 38. Bowness-on-Windermere  Day 34, Thu 21 June 39. Blackpool Day 35, Fri 22 June 40. Manchester Day 36, Sat 23 June 41. Leeds Day 37, Sun 24 June 42. Sheffield Day 38, Mon 25 June 43. Cleethorpes Day 39, Tue 26 June 44. Lincoln Day 40, Wed 27 June 45. Nottingham Day 41, Thu 28 June 46. Derby Day 42, Fri 29 June 47. Birmingham Day 43, Sat 30 June 48. Coventry Day 44, Sun 1 July 49. Leicester Day 45, Mon 2 July 50. Peterborough Day 46, Tue 3 July 51. Norwich Day 47, Wed 4 July 52. Ipswich Day 48, Thu 5 July 53. Chelmsford Day 49, Fri 6 July 54. Cambridge Day 50, Sat 7 July 55. Luton Day 51, Sun 8 July 56. Oxford Day 52, Mon 9 July 57. Reading Day 53, Tue 10 July 58. Basingstoke Day 54, Wed 11 July 59. Winchester Day 54, Wed 11 July 60. Salisbury Day 54, Wed 11 July 61. Weymouth and Portland Day 55, Thu 12 July 62. Bournemouth Day 56, Fri 13 July 63. Southampton Day 57, Sat 14 July Crown Dependencies 64. Guernsey Day 58, Sun 15 July 65. Jersey Day 58, Sun 15 July England 66. Portsmouth Day 58, Sun 15 July 67. Brighton and Hove Day 59, Mon 16 July 68. Hastings Day 60, Tue 17 July 69. Dover Day 61, Wed 18 July 70. Maidstone Day 62, Thu 19 July 71. Guildford Day 63, Fri 20 July 72. Waltham Forest Day 64, Sat 21 July 73. Bexley Day 65, Sun 22 July 74. Wandsworth Day 66, Mon 23 July 75. Ealing Day 67, Tue 24 July 76. Haringey Day 68, Wed 25 July 77. Westminster Day 69, Thu 26 July 78. Olympic Stadium Day 70, Fri 27 July

The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay is in progress, running from 19 May – 27 July 2012, prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics. The torch bearer selection process was announced on 18 May 2011.

As well as touring the United Kingdom the schedule includes the three crown dependencies - Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man - and the Republic of Ireland.

Organisation

The traditional lighting ceremony took place on 10 May 2012 at the Temple of Hera, Olympia, home of the Ancient Olympic Games. The torch relay travelled around Greece, and arriving at the Panathinaiko Stadium, in Athens on 17 May for the handover ceremony.

The torch relay will last 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations, six island visits with about 8,000 people carrying the torch a total distance of about 8,000 miles (12,800 km), starting from Land's End in Cornwall. The torch had one day outside of the United Kingdom when it visited Dublin on 6 June. The relay will focus on national heritage sites, locations with sporting significance, key sporting events, schools registered with the Get Set School Network, green spaces and biodiversity, Live Sites (city locations with large screens), festivals and other events.

The torch relay will bring the Olympics to within 1 hour of 95% of the UK population. It is intended to help the London 2012 Olympic Legacy by getting school children, local celebrities and local people involved.

Following a three month tour by LOCOG, local authorities submitted ideas to regional government and LOCOG by May 2010, such as Oxfordshire. However some counties such as Somerset declined to enter ideas on grounds of costs such as road closures, citing costs of up to £300,000.

On 26 May 2010 the start date of the Torch Relay was announced, along with three presenting partners – Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The torchbearer public nomination campaign, announced on 18 May 2011, called 'Moment to Shine', gave people across the UK the chance to be involved in the countdown to the start of the London 2012 Games.

Journey to the UK

The specially painted British Airways Airbus A319 carried the flame from Greece to the United Kingdom

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Lord Coe, David Beckham were among 80 guests also including a group of teenagers: rugby player Dennis Coles from East Ayrshire representing Scotland, hockey player Chloe Brown from Bangor representing Northern Ireland, athlete Sean White from Swansea representing Wales, hockey player Georgia Higgs from Cornwall and Sakinah Muhammad from Hackney representing London.

On 16 May 2012 a British Airways Airbus A319, with a custom gold livery and named "The Firefly" flew from Heathrow to Athens to collect the flame. On 18 May 2012 the aircraft flew as flight number BA2012 from Athens to RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall carrying the Olympic Flame. The flame was not extinguished during the flight, having been classified as a 'ceremonial flame' by the Civil Aviation Authority who gave permission to transport it whilst still alight. The torch was kept in four Davy lamps secured in a cradle which was firmly fixed to the seats in Row 1. They had enough smoke-free fuel to last 30 hours.

After an overnight stay at RNAS Culdrose, members of 771 Naval Air Squadron took the Olympic Flame to Land's End from RNAS Culdrose by Sea King helicopter where the Olympic Torch was lit. Olympic sailing star Ben Ainslie ran the first leg of the Torch Relay.

Relay elements

2012 Summer Olympics torch

File:Close Up of the 2012 Logo on the Olympic Torch.jpg

2012 London Olympics logo

The olympic torch on display in Cardiff, Wales

The Olympic Torches are made of aluminium alloy skin, perforated by 8,000 circles representing the 8,000 torchbearers who will carry the flame, The circles also help ensure heat is quickly dissipated, without being conducted down the handle, and providing extra grip. The triangular-shaped torches represent:

• The three Olympic values - respect, excellence and friendship,
• The Olympic motto - faster, higher, stronger,
• the Olympic Games hosted by United Kingdom (1908, 1948 and 2012)
• The vision of the 2012 Summer Olympics - sport, education and culture.

The colour of the torch is gold; this represents the qualities of the Olympic Flame – the brightness and the warmth of the light that it shines. The torch was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. It stands 80 centimetres (31 in) high and weighs 800 grams (1.8 lb), and tested to withstand all likely weather conditions. Production of the torches started at the end of 2011.

Torch Security

The torch relay crossing Monnow Bridge, Monmouth, Wales, the Torch Security Team are seen jogging either side the torch bearer.

The torch is escorted through the towns and communities by a team of specially trained officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) known as the Torch Security Team (TST). These were chosen from the initial 644 applications and following an eight month selection process. Their primary role is to protect the Olympic and Paralympic Flames as well as the safety of the torchbearer carrying the flame. However these "runners" form one part of the wider torch security team which consists of motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, senior officers and operational planners.

Incidents

On the torch's journey through Land's End, one man broke past the pace car but was swiftly tackled to the ground by the Torch Security Team runners as he was thought to be attempting to reach the torchbearer.

When the torch was travelling through Derry scuffles broke out between police and republican protesters as they blocked the torch's planned route near the Guildhall. Consequently it was forced to go a different way in order to reach the Peace Bridge.

During the torch's journey through Bishop Auckland (County Durham), it was carried by Kieran Maxwell, a 13 year old from Newton Aycliffe. He was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma in 2010 and lost part of his left leg. Whilst carrying the torch in his left hand and crutch in his right he fell, but was quickly helped to his feet by the Torch Security Team.

As the torch was leaving Headingley towards Leeds, a man with a bucket of water was seen in the crowd. The man was swiftly tackled by the torch security team before he could empty the contents.

On 25 June, UK Uncut staged protests as the torch travelled past the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, campaigning against the changes to the National Health Service.

A male streaker was arrested on 10 July after running in front of the torch convoy as it passed through Henley-on-Thames with 'Free Tibet' written on his back.

A 17 year old male was arrested on 20 July in Gravesend, Kent after unsuccessfully attempting to grab the torch, there were no injuries and the torch continued on its way.

Other modes of transport

As well as road runners, the torch will be conveyed on other modes of transport as part of the relay, often in four Davy lamps.

The Olympic torch being punted down the River Cam during the Cambridge leg of the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay.

On water, the torch rode in a power boat in Bristol Harbour and in an RNLI lifeboat along the Menai Strait. Slower journeys will occur by ferry on the Mersey Ferry and by the steamboat MV Tern across Windermere. In unpowered watercraft, it will be punted along the River Cam in Cambridge, and rowed along the River Medway in Maidstone.

On rails the torch will be hauled by steam locomotives over track of various gauges. The LMS Royal Scot Class locomotive No. 6115 Scots Guardsman will convey the torch on the mainline railway along the East Coast Main Line. Trips will also be taken on standard gauge heritage railways at the Great Central Railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Severn Valley Railway On smaller gauges, the torch will visit the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway and a miniature railway in the form of the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway. It will be taken up gradients by funicular railways on the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway, the Hastings East Hill Cliff Railway, and Great Orme Tramway, as well as the narrow gauge rack railway of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Electric trams will carry the torch on the Blackpool tramway and Manx Electric Railway.

Using road vehicles, the torch will complete eighty percent of its tour of Britain in a security van. A road train will be used in the Mumbles in Swansea and it will ride on an open top bus through the Cumbrian countryside. The torch will be transported on three wheels by a TT motorcycle sidecar on the Isle of Man, by a Paralympic road cycle around the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit and by mountain bike at the Hadleigh Farm course in Essex.

Horses featured when the torch was carried on the back of racehorses at the Cheltenham and Chester racecourses. It was carried on a Cob horse in Aberaeron and hauled by horse drawn tram on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway.

Aerial journeys were taken when the torch travelled by zip wire from the top of the Tyne Bridge to the Gateshead riverside, and when it is conveyed by cable car up the Heights of Abraham in Derbyshire. It was also suspended over water as it was transported by the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge over the River Tees.

A planned handing over ceremony on the Tamar Bridge was cancelled in favour of the torch being driven over the border in the security van. Martin Gee, the Mayor of Saltash, said "It seems sad that it is not being made a really, really big event - this is the end of Cornwall and we should be celebrating the torch going off to England." The crossing was made by a runner instead.

Route in Greece before leaving for the UK

Olympic Torch Relay in Greece

10 May (day 1)

• Olympia, Pyrgos, Amaliada (Elis), Gastouni, Lechaina, Corinth, Piraeus

11 May (day 2)

• Chania (Crete), Rethymno (Crete), Agios Nikolaos (Chania) (Crete), Heraklion (Crete), Kastelorizo

12 May (day 3)

• Piraeus, Patras, Rio–Antirrio bridge, Antirrio, Amfilochia, Preveza, Parga, Igoumenitsa, Ioannina

13 May (day 4)

Day 3 Patra Ceremony

• Ioannina, Kozani, Veroia, Thessaloniki (Macedonia), Kavala

14 May (day 5)

• Kavala, Komotini, Kipoi, Evros, border crossing between Greece and Turkey, Alexandroupoli, Xanthi, Drama

15 May (day 6)

• Drama, Serres, Katerini, Larissa, Volos, Lamia

16 May (day 7)

• Lamia, Chalkida, Athens, Acropolis of Athens

17 May (day 8)

• Athens, Panathinaiko Stadium, Athens

Route

Day 3: Olympic Torch Relay reaches the County Ground in Taunton.

Day 14: The flame passing between two torches in Burscough, Lancashire.

Day 15: The torch being carried through Onchan, Isle of Man.

Day 19: The torch in Dublin, Ireland.

Day 37: Torch relay handover in Oldham, Greater Manchester

Day 50: The Olympic flame being transferred into a lantern in Cambridge for safe-keeping overnight.

Date	Map
19 May (day 1): Land's End 19 May (day 1): Plymouth 20 May (day 2): Exeter 21 May (day 3): Taunton 22 May (day 4): Bristol and Bath 23 May (day 5): Cheltenham 24 May (day 6): Hereford 24 May (day 6): Worcester 25 May (day 7): Malvern 25 May (day 7): Torch enters Wales via Monmouthshire 25 May (day 7): Cardiff 26 May (day 8): Swansea 27 May (day 9): Aberystwyth 28 May (day 10): Bangor 29 May (day 11): Chester 30 May (day 12): Stoke-on-Trent 31 May (day 13): Bolton 1 June (day 14): Liverpool 2 June (day 15): Isle of Man
3 June (day 16): Portrush 4 June (day 17): Derry 5 June (day 18): Newry 6 June (day 19): Dublin 6 June (day 19): Belfast 7 June (day 20): Torch crosses North Channel into Scotland
8 June (day 21): Glasgow 9 June (day 22): Inverness 10 June (day 23): Orkney; Shetland 11 June (day 24): Isle of Lewis; Aberdeen 12 June (day 25): Dundee 13 June (day 26): Edinburgh	Glasgow Inverness Orkney Shetland Isle of Lewis Aberdeen Dundee Edinburgh
14 June (day 27): Alnwick 15 June (day 28): Newcastle 16 June (day 29): Durham 17 June (day 30): Middlesbrough 18 June (day 31): Hull 19 June (day 32): York 20 June (day 33): Carlisle 21 June (day 34): Bowness-on-Windermere 22 June (day 35): Blackpool 23 June (day 36): Manchester 24 June (day 37): Leeds 25 June (day 38): Sheffield 26 June (day 39): Cleethorpes 27 June (day 40): Lincoln 28 June (day 41): Nottingham 29 June (day 42): Derby 30 June (day 43): Birmingham 1 July (day 44): Coventry 2 July (day 45): Rugby 2 July (day 45): Leicester 3 July (day 46): Peterborough 4 July (day 47): Norwich	Alnwick Newcastle Durham Middlesbrough Hull York Carlisle Bowness-on-Windermere Blackpool Manchester Leeds Sheffield Cleethorpes Lincoln Nottingham Derby Birmingham Coventry Leicester Peterborough Norwich
5 July (day 48): Ipswich 6 July (day 49): Chelmsford 7 July (day 50): Cambridge 8 July (day 51): Luton 9 July (day 52): Oxford 10 July (day 53): Reading 11 July (day 54): Basingstoke 11 July (day 54): Winchester 11 July (day 54): Salisbury 12 July (day 55): Weymouth and Portland 13 July (day 56): Bournemouth	Ipswich Chelmsford Cambridge Luton Oxford Reading Salisbury Weymouth and Portland Basingstoke Winchester Bournemouth
14 July (day 57): Southampton 15 July (day 58): Guernsey; Jersey; Portsmouth	Southampton Guernsey Jersey Portsmouth
16 July (day 59): Portsmouth 16 July (day 59): Brighton and Hove 17 July (day 60): Hastings 18 July (day 61): Dover 19 July (day 62): Maidstone 20 July (day 63): Guildford
21 July (day 64): Waltham Forest 22 July (day 65): Bexley 23 July (day 66): Wandsworth 24 July (day 67): Ealing 25 July (day 68): Haringey 26 July (day 69): Westminster 27 July (day 70): Olympic Stadium	Waltham Forest Bexley Wandsworth Ealing Haringey Westminster Olympic Stadium

See also

• 2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay

External links

• Official website
• Full-screen interactive map based on OpenStreetMap