The route for the Commonwealth Games baton relay as it comes through Knowsley has been confirmed.
It was announced in May that 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 the borough. Knowsley Council have now unveiled the route the flame will take.
On Sunday July 17, the Queen’s Baton will begin the Knowsley leg of its journey at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park, Huyton where it will be met by sporting groups who will be hosting displays and demonstrations. The baton will then move in a convoy to Knowsley Safari Park, where it will be carried through the Foot Safari before making its way into Prescot town centre.
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The Baton will be carried down Eccleston Street to the newly opened Shakespeare North Playhouse. Following a short trip through the theatre and performance garden, the Queen’s Baton Relay will conclude its Knowsley journey on Prospero Place with a special celebration.
Cllr Graham Morgan, leader of Knowsley Council said: “It is such a remarkable honour that Knowsley will play host to the Queen’s Baton Relay this summer. It is bound to bring with it a real sense of excitement and community spirit and we hope to see a fantastic turnout of local people along the route to celebrate this special moment in our year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture.”
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. 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 last month 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.
