An extraordinary attempt to run the entire route of the Olympic Torch Relay will begin next week in Cornwall. Starting out from Land’s End at midnight on Monday 28th May, the Endurancelife Real Relay will involve hundreds of runners from across Great Britain who will collectively run every step of the 8000 mile route in one non-stop adventure.
Each runner will take on a section of the continuous route, passing the Real Relay baton down the line. Despite starting out ten days later than the official Olympic Torch Relay, the Real Relay aims to reach London’s Olympic Park ahead of it. For this to be achieved, the Real Relay must keep going for 24 hours of each day with team members running non-stop through day and night.
Organisers of the Real Relay, Endurancelife, are inviting runners from all over Britain to run their local section. To be eligible, runners must be capable of maintaining a ten minute mile pace for the duration of their section and make a minimum £10 donation to the Real Relay’s official charity, CHICKS. Sections will range from ten to one hundred miles. Runners can sign up online via the Endurancelife Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Endurancelife. Over forty sections of the route between Land’s End to Bristol are currently online, with the remaining sections to be added over the coming days and weeks.
Endurancelife Director, Andrew Barker, who conceived the idea of the Real Relay said: “We watched the Olympic torch pass through our Devon village last weekend and, as the torch bearer jumped in the van to drive on to the next destination, we looked at each other and thought, but what if the torch just kept on running? It’s an awe-inspiring challenge we’re setting and many will say it simply can’t be done. But we’re confident that the Real Relay will capture the imaginations of the Great British public and enough runners will be inspired to take part and make it happen. We’re determined to prove that the 8000 mile journey can be done the real way, non-stop and on foot.”
A uniquely designed Real Relay baton will contain a special tracking device so that anyone can follow its progress online throughout its 59 day journey via www.facebook.com/Endurancelife
Real Relay