Where Things Stand
LA28 has now said how it will work. From its official torch relay page: "For LA28, the general public will have the opportunity to be selected as a torchbearer via a nomination process." The relay starts in Atlanta in spring 2028 and visits all 50 states (the full announcement), and LA28 says details on nominations will follow in the coming months.
The nomination window has not opened yet. Based on how recent Games have run, expect it in 2027, roughly a year before the relay begins. Anyone selling you a torchbearer slot before then, or promising you one at any price, is not telling the truth. There is no shortcut and no guarantee, for me or anyone else.
What you can do is position yourself. That part starts now, and it is exactly what this site documents: my own campaign to carry the flame, run in public.
How Torchbearers Actually Get Chosen
Every modern relay fills its torchbearer corps through a few consistent channels:
- Open applications through the organizing committee. Milano Cortina 2026 opened a public torchbearer application about a year before its Games. Expect LA28 to do something similar, at larger scale, for a relay that needs to cover all 50 states.
- Sponsor nominations. This is the biggest channel most people have never heard of. Torch relay presenting partners have always received blocks of torchbearer slots and run their own nomination campaigns to fill them, and LA28 has confirmed it again for 2028: its presenting partners will take part in "the designation of select torchbearers." They are Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate, and Xfinity, with more relay partners to be announced. (Who each partner is and how partner programs have worked.) Coca-Cola presented the 1996 relay and ran its own selection program alongside the community one; expect each 2028 partner to do something similar with its customers and employees.
- Community and civic nominations. Cities and states along the route typically get slots for local heroes: coaches, veterans, teachers, first responders, volunteers. In 1996, United Way affiliates chose 5,500 "community heroes" from about 40,000 nominations, each backed by an essay of 100 words or fewer. With 50 states on the route, this channel will be enormous in 2028. (How cities are signing up.)
- Athletes and dignitaries. A slice of the corps is always Olympians, Paralympians, and public figures.
The pattern across all four channels: torchbearers are people with a story someone else is willing to tell. Selection committees do not pick resumes, they pick narratives with community proof behind them.
What You Can Do Right Now
While applications are closed, the groundwork is wide open:
- Get on the official lists. Sign up on LA28's torch relay page so the nomination announcement reaches you the day it drops, and follow @LA28TorchRelays on Instagram, LA28's official relay account. The route is due in 2027.
- Know your channel. If you bank with Chase, are insured by Allstate, have Xfinity at home, or work for any LA28 partner, that is a likely nomination path. If not, the open application and community channels are yours.
- Build the story before you need it. Run. Volunteer. Show up in your community in ways people remember. When nomination forms ask "why this person," the answer should already exist in the world. Practice writing it in 100 words: that was the 1996 limit. (How to write a nomination that gets read.)
- Make your case findable. When someone Googles your name in 2027, something should come up that makes the case for you. This site is mine: the training, the writing, the history, all of it in public. (Start with why the flame matters at all.)
- Follow the announcements. I track every LA28 relay development as it happens: everything confirmed so far, including the start-city rumor file.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do LA28 torchbearer applications open?
LA28 has confirmed torchbearers will be chosen from the public through a nomination process and says details are coming in the coming months. Milano Cortina 2026 opened applications about a year before its Games, which for LA28 points to 2027. Sign up for official LA28 updates and follow this site to catch the announcement.
How many torchbearers will there be in 2028?
Unannounced. The 1996 Atlanta relay used about 12,500 torchbearers, and Paris 2024 used roughly 11,000 across its Olympic and Paralympic relays. A 50-state, three-plus-month relay suggests one of the largest torchbearer corps ever.
Do you have to be an athlete?
No. Since the 1984 Los Angeles relay opened the flame to everyday citizens, the overwhelming majority of torchbearers have been ordinary people nominated for their story, not their speed. You jog about 200 to 300 meters with the torch.
Can I nominate someone else?
Historically yes: sponsor and community programs are built around nominating others. That is the spirit of this site's nomination wall, where you can add your name in support of my campaign today.
Does it cost anything?
Carrying the torch costs nothing. Torchbearers are typically offered the chance to purchase their torch afterward, which is optional. Anyone charging for a "guaranteed" slot is running a scam.
My Campaign, In One Paragraph
I am Tom Ciszek: founder, husband, father, and a runner from Santa Monica. I started Run With The Torch because the 2028 relay will pass through every state, and I want to carry it for one of those miles. If you'd nominate me when the forms open, add your name here and I'll send you the link the day they do. You can also find me on LinkedIn.
