Sporting events in Westminster

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Test events spring/summer 2011  Torch Relay  Olympic exhibition    Games schedule    Register your event   Road race  Marathons   Archery   Beach volleyball   Triathlon swimming 

Westminster will host:

• The Olympic Torch Relay
• Beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade
• Triathlon and open water swimming in Hyde Park
• Archery at Lord’s Cricket Ground
• Olympic road events, including Race Walks and Marathons
• Paralympic Marathons
• A ‘Live Site’ (open-air big screen) in Hyde Park, streaming BBC coverage of the Olympic
• Games and at Trafalgar Square for the Paralympic Games
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) who will be staying on Park Lane.

Test events - summer 2011

 

Test events that took place over the summer were:

Marathon - The Mall and London roads, 30th May 2011

Race walk - The Mall and London roads, 30th May 2011

Triathlon - Hyde Park, 6th - 7th August 2011

Beach volleyball - Horse Guards Parade, 9th - 14th August 2011

Marathon swimming - Hyde Park, 13th August

Road cycling - London/Surrey, 14th August

London Archery Classis - Lord's Cricket Ground, 3rd - 10th October

Torch Relay

Westminster will host an evening celebration event to mark the arrival of the Olympic Flame in the city on Thursday 26th July. The event will include entertainment and shows staged by LOCOG and its partners.

You can find out about the Torch Relay route here. It will visit every London borough from Saturday 21st July 2012 on its journey around the capital to the Olympic Stadium on Friday 27th July.

Facts and figures

• 8,000 Torchbearers - each with a story of personal achievement or contribution to their local community
• 8,000 miles - distance the Olympic Flame will travel across the UK
• 300 metres - average distance each Torchbearer will carry the Olympic Flame
• 110 Torchbearers - to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay each day
• 110 miles - travelled by the Olympic Flame each day.

Olympic Games schedule published

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has released details of the 2012 sports schedule. This includes events taking place in Westminster.

Archery at Lords Cricket Ground

27th July - 3 August

Beach volleyball on Horse Guards Parade

28th July - 9 August

Cycling road races start and finish on the Mall

28, 29th July, 1st August

Triathlon swimming in Hyde Park

4th and 7th August

Olympic and Paralympic marathons start and finish on the Mall

5th and 12th August

The schedule contains details of 19 days of sporting competition, including the times and venues for over 640 sessions, across over 300 events, 39 disciplines and 26 sports.

Register your Olympic event

With many Olympic and other events taking place in summer 2012, including World Pride and the Notting Hill Carnival, early planning is essential to keep London working and moving.

If you are planning an event in 2012, you must register with the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Culture Diary to ensure it is part of our planning.

The Culture Diary showcases everything that is going on in 2012, from small community festivals to large annual events. Your event will be listed in the 2012 online listings diary for Londoners and visitors and may also be promoted through marketing campaigns.

If your event meets any of the criteria below, it will be shared with the council and other public services such as TfL and the police. This is so we can plan for transport, road closures, health and safety and any licences you may need.

If your event takes place:

• in a park
• on a public highway (road or footpath)
• in council property.

and both of the below:

• you want to serve food or alcohol
• it is for a large number of people (over 499)

it is essential that you tell us what you are planning, even if it is not yet confirmed.

You may also still need to apply for a licence from the council. Visit our special events page to check if your event needs council approval.

2011 update: New route for Olympic road races

The road race is a mass start race provisionally scheduled for 28th and 29th July 2012. The events will start and finish on the Mall. The riders will race around a course that passes through six London boroughs before heading into Surrey and returning to Westminster London for the finish.

The men's race will take place on the 28th and last for around six hours. It will be 250km with 145 riders. The women's race will take place on the 29th and last for 3.5 hours. It will be 140km long and have 67 riders.

For queries about the race, email cycling.events@london2012.com or visit the LOCOG website for more information. You can also take a look at the full race route. [PDF]

Olympic and Paralympic marathons

On 4th October, LOCOG announced that the Olympic and Paralympic Marathons will start and finish in the Mall in central London. The race involves around 80 athletes and the route has been developed around a loop circuit so spectators can see the runners several times.

The new route will start in the Mall and take in London sights including Buckingham Palace, Admiralty Arch, Birdcage Walk, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Hill and the Houses of Parliament before finishing in the Mall.

The dates of the Olympic Marathons (Men’s and Women’s) and Paralympic Marathon will be confirmed when the sports competition schedule is published.

Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on the LOCOG blog http://blog.london2012.com or follow them on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/london2012

Archery at Lord’s Cricket Ground

From 27th July to 3rd August 2012, Lord’s will be converted into a temporary venue for 2012 archery. The event is provisionally scheduled to run from 27th July to 3rd August. There will be two sessions a day with up to 5,000 spectators at each session and 128 athletes will compete for four gold medals. Take at look at the London 2012 website to find out more.

Beach volleyball on Horse Guards Parade

Horse Guards Parade is the confirmed venue for beach volleyball. Temporary structures such as seating for 15,000 spectators and the creation of sand courts will be put in place ahead of 13 days of volleyball in late July/August. Visit the London 2012 website for details.

Olympic Triathlon and Marathon swimming events in Hyde Park

Hyde Park is the venue for triathlon and marathon swimming events and planning permission was granted in February 2011.

In June 2012 the installation of temporary structures will begin and in July access to areas of Hyde Park around the north bank of the Serpentine will be restricted up to September 2012. Two days of Olympic Triathlon events, shortly followed by two days of Olympic Marathon swimming will take place in August.

The park is also expected to host music, theatre, film and cultural events.