Podcasts in English

Richard: 8,000 miles, 8,000 people; the Olympic torch starts its UK journey on the 19th May.

Jackie: So for this week's podcastsinenglish.com we're talking about the torchbearers, the people carrying the torch, and the route.

Richard: So, Jackie, who are the torchbearers?

Jackie: 7,300 of the torchbearers are just everyday people, people chosen by their community for making some kind of contribution; for example they're charity workers, or they're voluntary workers, teachers chosen by their school pupils. So basically the torchbearers are people who have helped other people in some way.

Richard: And the other 700?

Jackie: Then they'll be the celebrities and the athletes.

Richard: Right. Now isn't there someone really old doing this run?

Jackie: Yeah, you'd think that maybe they would be younger people but in fact the oldest person, Richard, will be 100 when she carries the torch.

Richard: Wow, and the youngest?

Jackie: Eleven

Richard: Wow. So 8,000 miles, 8,000 people. Is this 100-year-old person going to run a mile?

Jackie: Well, actually that's an interesting point. 8,000 miles is the complete distance. It starts at Land's End, in Cornwall, and finishes in London at the Olympic stadium. However, it travels all around the UK and outside the UK: it's also going to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

Richard: So people aren't going to be running the entire 8,000 miles then?

Jackie: No um... obviously some of it will be in an aeroplane. But what is interesting, Richard, is that the average distance for the runners is only 300 metres and the reason for this is because the torch is also being carried by boat, by horseback...