Lighted in Greece by the sun rays, the Olympic flame will arrive in the Marseille roadstead on board the three-masted Belem on 8 May at around 12:45 pm. A 98-day itinerary is on the menu, including a 68-day relay across mainland and overseas France.
At the closing of the Olympic Games on 11 August, the Paralympic flame will light up in Stoke Mandeville (UK), home of the International Games, forebear of the Paralympic Games.
Thousands of spectators anticipated, more than 10,000 flame-bearers, hundreds of cities travelled through: a major festive event, the relay of the two flames, Olympic and Paralympic, also represents an important safety challenge.
The Olympic flame from Marseille to Paris
This mega public jamboree will kick off in Marseille with the arrival of the Belem vessel on 8 May. Given the expected number of spectators, a SILT (Internal Security and Combating Terrorism) perimeter will be established to regulate access to the old port. Demining on land and at sea and air protection in particular will complete the system.
At 7.30 pm, the first ignition of the Olympic kettle will be followed by a protocol ceremony and a concert. In the interest of security, 5,000 police and gendarmerie officers, both uniformed and plainclothes, will be among the crowds to ensure that the event runs smoothly.
Next day, first Olympic torch relay with 20 km of strides through the streets of Marseille. Several iconic sites are on the agenda, including the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica and the Vélodrome stadium. After this “warm-up”, the flame will begin its journey through roughly sixty departments. In each milestone city, celebrations will be organised for the over 10,000 flame-bearers.
A security bubble of over a hundred police and gendarmerie officers will accompany the relay until it arrives in Paris on 14 July. This novel set-up will be reinforced by territorial set-ups. At each stage, flame guards, police officers, gendarmes or firefighters will watch over the bearers until 26 July, when the flame will return from Saint-Denis to join the Opening Ceremony.
From Stoke Mandeville to Paris, the paralympic flame
From 25 to 28 August 2024, nearly 1,000 scouts will be carrying the Paralympic flame in roughly fifty French cities. The flame will be lit in Stoke Mandeville (UK), birthplace in 1948 of the International Games, later renamed the “Paralympic Games”. It will then cross the Channel Tunnel to the French coast.
Unlike the Olympic flame, several paralympic flames can burn simultaneously, a distinctive feature introduced by the paralympic movement. When it arrives in Calais, the flame will split into 12 flames that will light up at the furthest reaches of France to symbolise the energy of the 12 days of these maiden Paralympic Summer Games in France: lighting of the cauldron on 28 August followed by 11 days of competition.
Security for a fantastic festival
As a prelude to the opening of the 2024 Games, the Two Flames Relay is a spectacular festive moment. The Ministry of the Interior and Overseas France is already keeping a keen eye on the terrorist threat.
The aim is therefore to anticipate potential risks so as to optimize security without interfering with the excitement among the crowds. All for a fabulous festival!
Flame-bearer, guards, runners... to each their role!
Whether famous or anonymous, many of them will be carrying the flame or watching over it during the Olympic and Paralympic flame relays. Everyone will play a specific role. A small glossary to help you find your way around.
The flame-bearer can also be called a “scout” or “relayer”. As the name suggests, he/she will carry the flame between two relay points, i.e. on an average distance of 200 metres.
The flame guard will protect the integrity of the flame from Athens to Paris, and accompany the carrier throughout his/her journey.
Runners, police and gendarmerie officers will form a safety bubble around the flame-bearer and the flame guard.
See the press conference on security measures deployed for the Olympic and Paralympic Torch relays.