One of the highlights was the Team Relay organised by the French Swimming Federation at the Odyssée, the largest aquatic centre in France. Among the celebrities present were BMX champion Jodie Viémont, middle-distance runner Émilie Borget-Philippe, doctor and TV presenter Michel Cymes and Para-cycling world champion Marie Patouillet, who lit the cauldron in Chartres at the end of the day. 

From Dreux to Chartres, via Châteaudun and Bonneval, this is an area of great sporting appeal that has produced many champions in a wide range of sports. The four towns have been awarded the title of "Land of the Games" and have put sport at the heart of their ambitions, in particular by regularly organising major sporting events such as running, walking and cycling competitions. 

The Torch Relay put the spotlight on this haven of peace. Amidst plains, rivers, majestic mansions, magnificent castles and a Gothic cathedral, the relay was an enriching discovery of the region. The route started in Dreux, at the crossroads of the Ile-de-France, Beauce and Normandy regions. It also visited the Royal Chapel of Saint Louis and the Marcel Dessal Art and History Museum to highlight the local historical and cultural heritage. 

In Châteaudun, it made its way through the steep streets, passing close to the castle overlooking the town. The Torch was then taken to Bonneval, the "little Venice of Beauce", to visit the former abbey of Saint Florentin, the church of Notre Dame, the Porte Saint Roch and finally the 3,500 m² Carrefour des Sports complex. 

Finally, it moved to Chartres, which is used to highlighting its heritage with the annual sound and light show "Chartres en Lumière". The city is full of must-sees: the Colisée (the city's sports and cultural complex) and the iconic cathedral, a work of Gothic art and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Torch visited the Place des Épars, the church of Saint Aignan and the Odyssée, a water complex. The celebration took place on the racecourse. 

Before lighting the cauldron, the relay stopped off at the Odyssée, an aquatic centre with 11 swimming pools, two of them Olympic size, on a 5,000-m² site. It was here, in mid-June, that the most recent French swimming championships were held, with national records for Mewen Tomac and Emma Terebo, and Olympic qualifications for Florent Manaudou and Léon Marchand. 

The French Swimming Federation organised a Team Relay captained by Christophe Bordeau, a specialist in 200m freestyle, butterfly and medley. He was joined by Alicia Bozon, Olympian in Seoul '88, Barcelona '92 and Atlanta '96, Laurence Guillou, also present in Seoul and a 15-time French champion, and Maëly Chevallier, a three-time world champion in adapted sports. They were accompanied by volunteers, referees and swimming fans. 

Nearly 120 Torchbearers carried the Olympic Flame, including champions who have helped to raise the profile of the area. The first relay set the tone with Mangeiarasi Murugan, the 2022 French Para Sports Half Marathon champion from Dreux, where she trains. A little later, the crowd cheered on two BMX stars: namely world champion Jodie Viemont and Elyas Mouhoub, who took part in the world championships last summer. 

Émilie Borget-Philippe, six-time French middle-distance running champion, Lionel Baguissi, a taekwondist athlete who was African champion in 2001 and is now a coach at the Chartres Métropole club, and Jean-Sébastien Dréano, French third-division champion with a local club were also present.

The last Torchbearer was the Para-cyclist Marie Patouillet, who had the honour of lighting the cauldron in front of a large crowd in Chartres. At the age of 35, she has an impressive list of achievements: world champion in 2022 and two-time bronze medallist at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. 

The celebrations was also attended by many people with inspiring stories, such as Élena Thiry-Belpaume, a psychomotricity therapist who works with autistic children every day, and Caroline Marco-Choiseau, who supports cancer patients through "Les Flammes en Rose" association. The presence of Jean-Louis Benarab was a reward for his 20 years of commitment to the voluntary sector in Chartres.

The Torch was also carried by Fabrice Lenud, who trains young people all over the world in the art of pastry-making, thus contributing to the reputation of French gastronomy. They rubbed shoulders with Michel Cymes, a famous French doctor, surgeon and presenter of the "Magazine de la Santé" for 20 years, who spent part of his medical training at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Chartres.