Posted: November 10, 2005

Commonwealth Games: Australia’s relay runners announced

3500 Australians from all walks of life have been honoured with the opportunity to participate in the world’s longest, most inclusive relay.

Next year, as the Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton concludes its epic 366-day, 180,000km journey across the Commonwealth, communities throughout Australia will celebrate the merits of our own relay runners, whose names have been announced today by Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Corporation.

More than half of those selected are local heroes nominated through the Queen’s Baton Relay’s Community Runner Program funded by the relay’s Presenting Partner, Telstra. They join high profile Australians from the worlds of music, sport and the arts to unite in the spirit of the Games, as they carry the revolutionary Queen’s Baton on its way to the Opening Ceremony of the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Following the call to Australians to nominate our ‘unsung heroes’ for the honour of carrying the baton in Australia, Melbourne 2006 received more than 15600 nominations; almost four times the number received for the relay for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

The Queen’s Baton is now making its way across the Pacific and arrives in its 71st and final destination, Australia, on 24 January 2006. The following day it commences its Australian journey – a 21500km, 50-day itinerary across the nation, visiting every state, territory and capital city and directly touching over 500 communities.

The Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton Relay is a joint initiative of Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Corporation in partnership with the Australian Government (Funding Partner), Tourism Australia and the Commonwealth Games Federation. The Australian relay leg is proudly presented by Telstra (Presenting Partner) and sponsored by National, Qantas and Cadbury Schweppes.

A list of Australia’s Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton Relay runners can be found online at www.melbourne2006.com.au. Just click on the link to ‘Queen’s Baton Relay’.