Law enforcement officers will accompany Special Olympians today as they run their Olympic torch 1.5 miles through Carson City in advance of tonight's opening ceremony in Reno for the Special Olympics, Nevada 2010 Summer Games.
Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Chuck Allen said between 2 and 4 p.m. members of the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Carson City Sheriff's Office will run alongside Olympians on Carson Street from Fairview Drive to William Street. The torch will then be delivered by car to Storey County deputies at Highway 50 East and State Route 341 in Mound House.
According to Storey Undersheriff Gerald Antinoro, the torch will be driven to the Fourth Ward School in Virginia City where Storey County deputies will run it to Geiger Summit and hand it off to Sparks officers.
Allen said motorists should expect delays in the area around the runners.
"It will be a slow-paced run and we'll have units there to protect the runners," he said.
According to Steve Cabrales of Special Olympics, Nevada, more than 100 officers from 20 agencies will participate in the run. The torch left the Hoover Dam on March 22 and has been run and driven across the state.
Some 320 athletes, 115 coaches and 300 volunteers will participate in the two-day event. The aquatics competition runs Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lombardi Recreation Center at the University of Nevada, Reno and track and field competitions run Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Reno High track stadium.
Closing ceremonies and a dance will be from 7-9 p.m. Saturday night at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Reno.
Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition for nearly 4,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities.