Glasgow 2014 Unveils Baton Relay Route
Commonwealth Games organisers have unveiled the route the Queen’s Baton Relay, which will cover nearly 200,000 kilometers around the world, travelling to 71 nations and territories in seven months before arriving in Scotland.
At 190,000km the relay is far longer than the Olympic Torch relay, and the announcement marked 500 days until the 2014 Commonwealth Games is held in Glasgow – from 23rd July to 3rd August 2014.
The baton’s design is yet been revealed, but it will leave from Buckingham Palace on 9th October, with its first destination in India on 11th October.
It will also visit Australia, South Africa, Canada and Jamaica as well as many smaller nations such as Tuvalu and Nauru, before returning to Scotland for an extensive tour in June 2014.
The baton, which will carry a message from the Queen, will spend an average of one to four days in each nation, with an extended duration of seven days in Wales, two weeks in England and 40 days in Scotland.
It will be in Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, over Christmas, bring in the start of 2014 in Sierra Leone and celebrate St Andrew’s Day – dedicated to the patron Saint of Scotland – in New Zealand.
The final relay runner will hand the baton back to the Queen at the opening ceremony of the Games, who will then read aloud the hidden message and officially declare the Games open.
Queen Elizabeth also took part in the last Commonwealth Games relay, handing the ceremonial baton to India’s President Pratibha Patil during the launch of the XIX Commonwealth games at Buckingham Palace in 2009 (pictured above).
