It is better to run with a torch
than sit in darkness.
I'm Tom Ciszek from Santa Monica.
I want to carry the Olympic torch in 2028.
OLYMPIC TORCH RELAYS / 1936—2028
The routes, the runners, and the torches they carried. Pick a Games to see how the relay got there.
Start with a yearSummer GAMES 1984
The LA Games torch relay was revolutionary, covering 15,000 km across America. It was the first relay funded primarily by corporate sponsorships (notably AT&T) and allowed ordinary citizens to carry the torch by donating to charity. Rafer Johnson became the first Black athlete to light the Olympic cauldron.
Los Angeles gets its turn again in 2028.
Be part of Tom's 2028 journey"It is better to run with a torch than sit in darkness."
When the Olympic torch comes through for the 2028 Games, I want to be carrying it. This site is where I follow the relay news and the history, and where I'm asking people to back me when nominations open.
The Olympic flame has always been carried mostly by ordinary people someone nominated. I'm training for it, and I'd like to be one of them.
Not affiliated with
IOC • USOPC • LA28
This is a personal initiative and public record.
Torchbearers usually aren't chosen for being athletes. They're chosen for what they've done for the people around them. This is what I care about.
Ran in Santa Monica on housing and homelessness.
The people on the boardwalk and the workers priced out of this city are a big part of why I ran, and why I'm doing this.
My faith asks me to see the dignity in every person. That shapes how I work and how I show up for my city.
I've spent my career building tools for the people who make and move things, and I want those tools to help workers.
The Olympic torch has always been about more than sport. It's about hope, unity, and the belief that we can be better. I want to carry that message through my city, for the people who need to see it most.
Between now and July 2028
2026
Collecting the names of people who would nominate me
2027
LA28 publishes the route, and the nomination forms should open
2028
Atlanta in the spring, all 50 states, Los Angeles on July 14
Learn more about the Olympic torch relay, LA 2028, and how to get involved in the running community.
Follow the journey to LA 2028 and get updates on the torch relay, torchbearer nominations, and community events. The Olympic flame represents the best of us: unity, hope, and excellence.
Join the NewsletterWant to help? I'm looking for a few partners for the run-up to 2028: gear, community runs, or help telling the relay's story.
Companies, clubs and individuals are all welcome. Send me a note and I'll reply personally.
Following the flame and working toward my goal
Atlanta to Los Angeles: the First 50-State Torch Relay
Starts in Atlanta, spring 2028. Opening Ceremony July 14, 2028
LA28 will select members of the public through a nomination process. Its official relay page still says the process will be announced later. The full routes arrive in 2027; the Olympic relay starts in Atlanta in spring 2028 and visits all 50 states. I'm keeping my supporters list ready for the nomination announcement.
LA28's relay and nomination pageLA28 hasn't published a route, but city councils are voting to host the flame. Phoenix approved a relay contract with a cauldron lighting on October 7, Savannah approved its agreement the next day, and Minneapolis, Fresno and South Lake Tahoe acted earlier. Each city's task force will help pick local torchbearers.
Every city so farI'm cleared to start training for the 2028 relay, so the running starts now. LA28 has not opened torchbearer nominations yet. When it does, I'll email everyone on my nomination list the link the same day.
Read the launch postLA28 confirmed the Olympic flame will begin its US journey in Atlanta, host of the 1996 Games, in spring 2028, then visit all 50 states on the way to the July 14 Opening Ceremony. Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity will present the relay, and torchbearers will be chosen from the public through a nomination process. The full route comes in 2027.
Everything LA28 announcedBig site update: you can now add your name to my torchbearer nomination wall, and the article library has grown to 34 deep dives: the 50-state relay, start-city rumors, torchbearer selection, opening ceremony, volunteering, torch design, and the full history of America's relays.
How to become a torchbearerThe Winter Games flame was extinguished after 17 days of competition. The Olympic spotlight now swings fully to Los Angeles, and to the road across all 50 states that the flame will travel in 2028.
The Olympic flame arrives at San Siro Stadium in Milan for tonight's Opening Ceremony. For the first time in Olympic history, TWO cauldrons will be lit simultaneously: one in Milan at Arco della Pace and one in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Follow the flameThe Milano Cortina 2026 torch is on its 58th stage, passing through historic villages and rural landscapes on its way to Milan. Notable torchbearers include short track legend Arianna Fontana and Olympic rowing champion Piero Poli.
Track the relayThe flame reached Cortina d'Ampezzo exactly 70 years after the 1956 Winter Games, the last time the Olympics visited this Alpine town. A moving tribute to Italian winter sports heritage.
After being lit in Ancient Olympia on Nov 26 and traveling through Greece, the Olympic flame arrived in Rome to begin its 12,000 km journey through all 110 Italian provinces.
Started this site to document my journey toward becoming a torchbearer. The 1984 LA Games revolutionized the torch relay by letting ordinary citizens carry the flame. In 2028, I want to be part of that legacy.
LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover announced the 2028 relay will visit all 50 states over more than three months, ending at the July 14, 2028 opening ceremony. No previous relay has covered the full map. This is the announcement this whole campaign is built around.
Everything we knowMilano Cortina 2026 made history with twin cauldrons burning simultaneously in Milan and Cortina. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's knots, each cauldron expanded from 3.1m to 4.5m in diameter, featuring 244 articulation points and 1,440 precision components.
See the cauldron designLA28 will pick its torchbearers from public nominations. The forms aren't open yet. Add your name and I'll email you the link the day they are, so you can nominate me where it counts.
Don't know me yet? Here's my LinkedIn.
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