There was never a relay organised for the either ancient Olympic Games or other Panhellenic Games (organised in Nemea, Delphi and Isthmia). However, in Athens, flame races called lampadedromia were organised to honour certain gods, including Prometheus. The flame was transmitted by runners and the first competitor to arrive at the altar of the god had the honour of renewing its fire.

At a set time before the start of the ancient Olympic Games, messengers wearing olive crowns left Elis¹ to announce in other cities the exact date of competitions. They invited the citizens to come to Olympia and proclaimed the sacred truce (ekecheiria), that is, the obligation to halt combats one month before and during the period of the Games. In this way, the athletes and spectators could travel without fear to Olympia and back home.

It all begins in Olympia, Greece. A few months before the opening of the Olympic Games, a ceremony is organised on the original site of the Olympic Games, at the ancient sanctuary of Olympia. The flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera by actresses playing the part of priestesses. The choreography and costumes used in the ceremony are based on those of Antiquity.

The flame is lit according to the ancient method of the sun’s rays in the parabolic mirror. The Olympic flame can only be lit in this way. The flame is placed in an urn and transported into the ancient stadium where it is given to the first runner by the high priestess responsible for this operation. This process takes place months before the opening of the Games, in order to allow for the relay to take place and bring the flame to the host city.

In 1936, Carl Diem, Secretary General of the Organising Committee of the Games of the XI Olympiad in Berlin, proposed the inclusion of a torch relay in the programme of the Olympics. The flame was lit in Olympia and transported to Berlin via a torch relay.

From Olympia to Athens … the organisation of the lighting of the flame in Olympia is always handled by the Greek Olympic Committee. This Committee also organises of the transport of the flame by runners to Athens or, more precisely, to the Panathenaic stadium which was used for the 1896 Games.

In a Europe sorely afflicted by the war, the 1948 relay carried a welcome message of peace. The first runner, Corporal Dimitrelis, took off his military uniform before carrying the flame, commemorating the sacred truce observed in Ancient Greece. The planned route highlighted border crossings, where festivities were organised to celebrate the return of peace. The relay went through Lausanne, Switzerland. In homage to the restorer of the Olympic Games, a ceremony was organised at Pierre de Coubertin’s tomb in the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery.

I am not a runner.  I never was and never will be.  When I was first informed by Ashra² about this, and read the fax that accompanied, I told her to double check as I am not one person known for my athletic prowess. The invitation was not a mistake she tells me.  I was a bit stunned.

I did the research above and in the course of five weeks during my stint at IMD in Lausanne, made it a point to visit the Olympic Museum and understood a little more about the revival of the Olympics by de Coubertin.  I accepted the challenge as I believe in peace and the symbol of the Olympic torch for me is one of bringing people from all walks of life towards a common goal.  And the poignant history of allowing warring factions to travel to Olympia for sports, and stopping their wars for a period of time appealed to me.

Now we are faced with the challenges of protests by Pro-Tibet, Anti-China factions.  I will not comment on how I feel about human rights in China as this is not the point of my run.  If it were to be held anywhere else in the world, there will be other causes which will invoke protests.  My friends and colleagues have asked me if I will still run.  As a humanitarian worker, my values on human rights issues in China are questioned. 

In the last week leading up to the run, I have been trying to focus on my legs that will hopefully carry me through. It is not a long distance but I have issues with my right leg and knee.  Call it a war injury if you like but what may seem like a simple feat is really a challenge.

This is not about me or my views on human rights.  I can separate these issues from the purpose of the Games.  But I hold the belief that peace can come when people are able to come together and discuss problems and find possible solutions.  Thus, you can count on me to be there, even if someone decides to douse water over me and the flame.