The Olympic torch doesn’t travel a fixed distance every time; it varies by Games, but it’s typically thousands of miles.

Typical distances

  • Modern torch relays usually range from about 3,000 to 10,000 miles from the lighting in Olympia, Greece, to the host city’s opening ceremony.
  • For the Paris 2024 Olympics, the relay was planned at roughly 3,100 miles (about 5,000 km) over 68 days across Greece, by sea, and throughout France and its territories.
  • Some past Games have gone much further: the Athens 2004 global relay sent the flame over 78,000 km (about 48,500 miles) around the world, visiting all previous and future Summer Olympic host cities.

Over the relay’s history

Looking at all Olympic torch relays combined since the tradition began in 1936, estimates suggest the flame has traveled on the order of hundreds of thousands of miles in total, roughly comparable to circling Earth many times.

Quick takeaway: For any single Olympics, expect the torch relay to cover several thousand miles , with special “global” or very ambitious routes reaching tens of thousands of miles.