The EnduranceLife Real Relay was an unofficial event following the route of the
2012 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 19 May until 27 July, prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics, London 2012 Summer Olympics. The torch bearer selection process was announced on 18 May 2011.
As well as touring the United Kingdom the ...
, conceived by Andrew Barker, an endurance runner.
After the Olympic torch relay had begun Barker, his wife Charlotte, and organiser Kate Treleaven were dismayed to discover the torch would be carried by a security van for 80% of its journey. In contrast the Real Relay was run entirely on foot.
The Real Relay began ten days after the official relay at midnight on 28 May 2012, and reached the gates of the
Olympic Park
An Olympic Park is a sports campus for hosting the Olympic Games. Typically it contains the Olympic Stadium and the International Broadcast Centre. It may also contain the Olympic Village or some of the other sports venues, such as the aquatics ...
at 2.00pm on 22 July 2012, several days in advance of the official torch. In place of the Olympic torch, a single baton fitted with a
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...
tracking device was passed along the entire route.
Stages and Route
The route was divided into 672 stages, averaging ten miles per stage, which were posted in batches on the Real Relay website. Each stage featured a start and end point – such as a city, town, or landmark – which related to the Olympic torch relay. The first person to volunteer for the stage secured the right to carry the torch and to designate the exact route between points. Runners were required to keep a ten minutes per mile pace so that the aim of reaching the Olympic stadium in advance of the opening ceremony could be achieved.
Modifications to Olympic Route
Distinct from the Olympic torch relay, the Real Relay baton was taken to the peaks of
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike () is a mountain in the Lake District region of Cumbria, England. It has an elevation of above sea level, making it the highest and the most prominent mountain in England. The mountain is part of the Scafell massif, an extinct v ...
,
Slieve Donard
Slieve Donard ( ; ) is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland, the highest in Ulster, and the seventh-highest in Ireland, with a height of . The highest of the Mourne Mountains, it is near the town of Newcastle on the eastern coast of County ...
and
Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis ( ; , ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Highland region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William.
The mount ...
, the tallest mountains in England, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, respectively.
Organisers of the EnduranceLife Real Relay hoped to obtain permission from
LOCOG
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was the organisation responsible for overseeing the planning and development of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was jointly established by the UK Gov ...
to end the relay with a lap of the
Olympic stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...
, but this was refused by officials due to ongoing rehearsals for the
opening ceremony
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event. .
Recognition
The One Show
''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weekdays at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating ...
on BBC One featured the Real Relay on 23 July 2012 including an interview with Kate Treleaven and footage of the final five miles. Around twenty of the runners were guests in the studio.
Charitable Donations
All participating runners were asked to contribute at least £10 to CHICKS, a charity providing week-long respite breaks for disadvantaged children across the UK. Donations reached over £10,000.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Real Relay website
2012 Summer Olympics