Olympic Rings displayed at the construction site of the Eiffel Tower Stadium for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. GETTY IMAGES

The final stretch before the start of the Paris Olympic Games coincides with France's national holiday, 14 July. The flame arrives in the French capital this Sunday and joins the traditional military parade.

The flame's journey through Paris began at 10 a.m. on Avenue Foch with a relay in the final part of the military parade and will conclude on Monday evening when it arrives at Place de la République, where a free concert will be held.

For nearly two days, the flame will cover 60 kilometers in the hands of 540 relays, and all of this coordinated by a security device with around 18,000 agents.

The upcoming passage through Paris on Sunday and Monday aims to reignite Olympic enthusiasm in the French capital. The political upheavals following the legislative elections have slightly overshadowed the positive atmosphere that the Olympic flame relay and other related events were generating.

The Olympic torch relay is a modern invention inspired by practices from ancient Greece, marking the start of the Olympic Games and aiming to convey a “message of peace and friendship along its route,” as stated on the Games' official website.

Since its arrival in Marseille on 8 May, the Olympic flame has been a great success in the host country, attracting nearly 5 million spectators along its path. “For many French people who are worried, the Games represent a kind of break before serious issues return to the forefront,” commented Paul Dietschy, a sports historian at the University of Franche-Comte, hoping this Olympic ‘break’ will help calm tensions in French society.


Demonstrators climb on the Monument a la Republique during a protest following the legislative election results in Paris. GETTY IMAGES
Demonstrators climb on the Monument a la Republique during a protest following the legislative election results in Paris. GETTY IMAGES


The relay route was also designed for the flame, lit in the Greek city of Olympia, to be present at the Games’ venue on 14 July, coinciding with France’s national holiday. This weekend will serve as a prelude to the main event starting on 26 July. The two-day passage on July 14 and 15 will bring joy to Parisians before the flame completes its journey ahead of the Games’ opening ceremony, with the cauldron being lit in the Tuileries Gardens, near the Louvre Museum.

The next days' historical relay activities will be accompanied not only by festive events such as concerts, choirs, and various performances but also by visits to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks: the Pantheon, Notre-Dame, Bastille Square, the Pompidou Museum, and the Arc de Triomphe.

An estimated total of 540 relay runners will be responsible for completing 200-metre segments, aiming to openly showcase the flame, a symbol of the Olympics, to the inhabitants of Paris and visitors alike. The flame will start its journey precisely on Sunday during the July 14 military parade, escorted by Thibaut Vallette, Olympic champion in equestrian events at Rio 2016.


Former French football player and newly appointed France U21 head coach Thierry Henry delivers a press conference at the French Football Federation (FFF) headquarters. GETTY IMAGES.
Former French football player and newly appointed France U21 head coach Thierry Henry delivers a press conference at the French Football Federation (FFF) headquarters. GETTY IMAGES.


Following this, the legendary footballer Thierry Henry, coach of the French men’s Olympic football team, will carry the flame along the Champs-Elysees. From that point, the route will include a comprehensive tour from the National Assembly to Notre Dame Cathedral, passing by the Senate and the Sorbonne University, heading north, and finally returning to the center for the classic fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.

The next day, after spending the night from Sunday to Monday in the golden halls of the Hotel de Ville, the flame will hit the streets again on the 15th to traverse Paris once more, visiting Montmartre, the Sacre-Coeur, and the Moulin Rouge, among other landmarks.