PASSING ON THE TORCH

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12093, 21 March 1925, Page 5

PASSING ON THE TORCH

FRENCH ATHLETES’ DISPLAY. VERDUN TO PARIS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, March 19. The French Athletio Federation is organising a novel and impressive method of celebrating the national fete .on July 14to. Before dawn a soldier blinded during the war will be conducted to Verdun Citadel, where he will light- two torohes and hand them to two runners, representing respectively Paris and too provinces; with instructions to carry them to the Unknown Soldier’s tomb at the Aro’ de Triomphe, Paris. At the end of every kilometre the runners will pass the torches to others till the last runners reach Paris in the evening, when toe torches will he handed to another mutilated ex-soldier in the presence of a guard of honour consisting of all toe runners, who will inolude the pick of the whole country’s athletes. The distance from Verdun ,to Paris is approximately 120 miles, and as each runner will do five-eighths of a mile (one kilpmetre) it will require nearly two Hundred separate relays to cover the whole journey.