The unusually wet rain of the last few months has extinguished the Olympic torch flame being carried to Cortina. Sooke as the Volunteer Capital of Canada has been asked by the IOC to get the flame from the Olympic Stadium in Athens to Cortina, Italy asap. Sooke of course has enlisted its premier (and only) run club STARR to simply make this happen.
We have now raised the STARR team (of 18 runners and walkers) to travel the distance by foot from Athens to Cortina c. 1,711km minimum, to carry the Olympic torch as this year’s January Blues Challenge for 2026. As a token of their appreciation, the IOC has arranged a Team Canada support car, naturally a red Cortina and a chauffer named Sid. Join us on this important journey. Expect weekly progress updates, via the website, throughout the month.
The planned route is attached below.
