Etc.
Olympic torch slated to get the real runaround in Canada
Beijing plans a virtually unbeatable torch relay for the Olympic Summer Games this year of roughly 85,000 miles. That's more than 30,000 miles longer than the previous record set for the Athens Games in 2004. Organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, realized it would be difficult to surpass Beijing (or even Athens, for that matter), but that hasn't prevented them from making plans for a record-setting torch relay of their own. Recently, they announced that their relay will cover 21,748 miles, the most strictly in the host country. For China's, runners will carry the torch through five countries on a 130-day journey. Vancouver's, on the other hand, will wind through every Canadian province and territory over 100 days. A total of 12,000 torchbearers will be selected to participate in one of the grandest Olympic traditions. The Olympics with the longest torch relays (in miles):
• 2008 Beijing 85,128
• 2004 Athens 53,438
• 2010 Vancouver, British Columbia (winter) 21,748
• 1996 Atlanta 18,030
• 2000 Sydney, Australia 16,777
• 2002 Salt Lake City (winter) 13,220
• 1956 Melbourne, Australia 12,719
• 1964 Tokyo 12,468
• 1972 Sapporo, Japan (winter) 11,645
• 1988 Calgary, Alberta (winter) 11,183
