The Olympic torch was lit in Greece this morning (April 16) and will now embark on its journey to Paris - via mainland France and overseas territories - to arrive in the capital on July 26 for the Opening Ceremony.
The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece – the spiritual home of the Games – with Greek gold medalist rower Stefanos Douskos being the first to carry it.
He passed it onto swimmer Laure Manaudou, the first French person to bear the flame during the 2024 relay.
It will pass around Greece for 11 days before arriving in Marseille on May 8.
The torch will then travel across France – including to many of the overseas departments and territories – before reaching the capital where it will light the cauldron at the end of the ceremony in the Trocadero.
It has not yet been confirmed, but Olympic insiders say the cauldron, which burns continuously throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be attached to the Eiffel tower in some way.
You can click on the image below to expand and zoom in on the map, to see the route more closely.
Credit: Paris 2024
Around 11,00 people will carry the torch on French ground during its journey, including celebrities, athletes, actors, and even chefs.
A number of everyday residents and citizens will also carry the torch. Each person will spend around four minutes holding the torch alight, running with it for around 200 metres before passing it onto the next person.
A list of the main stops of the torch is listed below. Note this is not exhaustive and some additional smaller stops may take place between them.
May 8-9: Marseille
May 10: Toulon
May 11: Manosque
May 12: Arles
May 13: Montpellier
May 14: Bastia
May 15: Perpignan
May 16: Carcassonne
May 17: Toulouse
May 18: Auch
May 19: Tarbes
May 20: Pau
May 22: Périgueux
May 23: Bordeaux
May 24: Angoulême
May 25: Futuroscope
May 27: Châteauroux
May 28: Angers
May 29: Laval
May 30: Caen
May 31: Mont Saint-Michel
June 1: Rennes
June 2: Niort
June 4: Les Sables-d'Olonne
June 5: La Baule
June 6: Vannes
June 7: Brest
June 9: Cayenne (French Guiana)
June 12: Saint-Denis (Réunion)
June 13: Papeete (French Polynesia)
June 15: Baie-Mahault (Guadeloupe)
June 17: Fort-de-France (Martinique)
June 18: Nice
June 19: Avignon
June 20: Valence
June 21: Vichy
June 22: Saint-Étienne
June 23: Chamonix
June 25: Besançon
June 26: Strasbourg
June 27: Metz
June 28: Saint-Dizier
June 29: Verdun
June 30: Reims
July 2: Lille
July 3: Lens – Liévin
July 4: Amiens
July 5: Le Havre
July 6: Vernon
July 7: Chartres
July 9: Blois
July 10: Orléans
July 11: Auxerre
July 12: Dijon
July 13: Troyes
July 14-15: Paris
July 17: Saint-Quentin
July 18: Beauvais
July 19: Soisy-sous-Montmorency
July 20: Meaux
July 21: Créteil
July 22: Évry-Courcouronnes
July 23: Versailles
July 24: Esplanade de La Défense, Nanterre
July 25: Parc Georges-Valbon
July 26: Paris - Olympic Games opening ceremony
If you are set to be a torchbearer, or are involved in the Games in any other way, let us know via news@connexionfrance.com.
