Olympic Torch route through Hackney announced
The Torch's triangular, gold-coloured form is perforated by 8,000 circles representing the 8,000 Torchbearers. Photograph: LOCOG
The Olympic Torch Relay will pass through Hackney this summer in one of the final stages of its journey around Britain.
The torch will enter the borough on Saturday July 21 at Shoreditch High Street. It will then travel up Kingsland Road and along Stoke Newington Church Street to Clissold Park.
Local Torchbearers will then run the flame eastwards through Homerton in 300 metre legs until it passes into Waltham Forest along Eastway.
It will finally enter the Olympic Stadium on Friday 27 July, marking the official start of the London 2012 Games.
The One Hackney Festival 2012 will be held on the same day to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Flame. The carnival event will include a street parade along the torch’s route and will finish with a party in Clissold Park.
A festival fringe featuring food, performance and music will run alongside the street parade and will extend the celebrations to all Hackney’s town centres.
Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe said: “We want residents to come out in force along the route to cheer Torchbearers as the Flame gets ever closer towards the Olympic Stadium.
“It will be a unique opportunity to share in the excitement of the final build up to the Games whilst enjoying the carnival atmosphere of the One Hackney Festival 2012.”
Sebastian Coe, Chair of the Games’ organising committee, added: “The Flame symbolises the Olympic spirit and its journey around the UK will bring the excitement of the Games to our streets.
“Now the people know the route the Olympic Flame will be carried along and the Torchbearers for their community, they can start planning how they might celebrate and make it Hackney’s moment to shine.”
An average of 115 Torchbearers a day will carry the Olympic Flame during its 8,000 mile journey around the UK.
The route has been devised to take the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of over 95% of the population.
Street-by-street details and proposed start times for the Torch’s journey through Hackney can be found here.