The Commonwealth Games baton relay will take place in Knowsley and Liverpool this summer.
Ahead of the 22nd staging of the international multi-disciplinary event being held in Birmingham between July and August this year, the baton relay will visit two boroughs in the Liverpool City Region. The baton will make the journey as it completes the final route across the UK, having visited Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the Americas.
On Sunday July 17, Knowsley will officially welcome the baton, followed by Liverpool the next day as it makes its way back to the West Midlands. The visit to the Liverpool City Region is part of the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay which begins on 2nd June.
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The full direction of the route and areas the baton will visit are yet to be confirmed. Cllr Graham Morgan, leader of Knowsley Council, said the relay would bring a real buzz to the borough.
He said: “I am thrilled to announce that the Queen’s Baton Relay will be visiting Knowsley on July 17. It’s a real coup for the borough to represent the North West in this way and to be part of such a prestigious event, especially in this, our year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture.
“It couldn’t be more timely as the event coincides with the opening of Shakespeare North Playhouse and the whole borough will be abuzz for this monumental cultural milestone. I for one cannot wait to see the energy and enthusiasm of our communities in welcoming the Baton on this incredible day.”
The baton relay will be accompanied by former Marine Alex Krol, from Aintree, who has taken part in a range of sports and marathons raising money for charities since he was left wheelchair stricken following a motorcycle crash 16 years ago. Alex, who spent six months in hospital after the crash, won gold for wheelchair tennis in the Invictus Games.
First staged 92 years ago, the Commonwealth Games is held every four years bringing together nations from across the association and is to be held in England for only the third time in its history this summer. It was revealed earlier this week that a Liverpool marathon runner was one of the first two picked to compete with Team England's athletics squad.
Jonny Mellor, 35, heard the news days after winning the Manchester Marathon in April, where his time of 2:10:46 nearly matched his lifetime best, and beat the qualifying standard for all three major championships this summer.
