The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games.In Olympia (Greece), where the first Olympics were held some 2,800 years ago, a flame was ignited by the sun and it kept burning till the closing of the Olympic Games.

To keep up with the same tradition, the Olympic flame for London Olympics will be lit today, May 10th, in Olympia. It will then be passed from runner to runner till it reaches the Olympic stadium in the hosting city,London.

An Olympic committee plans the route that the torch takes. The flame is then kept alight until the Games have concluded.