CINCINNATI -- The Southwest Ohio leg of the Special Olympics Torch Run kicks off Wednesday morning in Cincinnati.
The 2009 Ohio Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics began on Sunday near lake Erie. After that, the run divided into separate relays in all four quadrants of Ohio.
Runners on the local route of the Torch Run raced through the Queen City at 9 a.m. The relay started at the Cincinnati Police Memorial on Central Parkway, then traveled 16 miles to the Springdale Police Department.
At 12:30 p.m., a new set of runners will pick up the torch and carry it 5.3 miles more to West Chester.
On Thursday, the route will pass through Hamilton and Middletown as it continues north.
All of the routes will eventually converge in Columbus on Friday, June 26 for the opening ceremonies of this year's Special Olympics State Summer Games.
Organizers say the Torch Run is the single largest fundraiser for
Special Olympics Ohio, which has over 22,000 participating athletes. They are encouraging Ohio residents to come out and cheer on the runners.
