The Olympic torch relay reminds me of another activity also called "torch relay" from my university days. Although carrying the same name, the two activities couldn't be more different in nature.

The torch relay I took part in was actually a night relay race. We relayed an electric torch, not a flame. This was an annual athletic event between teams from two floors of my university dormitory with a history of several decades, and it was held on a small area of grass field. One lap was just over 100 metres. The rules of competition were similar to those of an ordinary relay race. Each team was represented by around 20 people, with each person running two laps. The fastest team to complete was the winner.

This was not simply a running race among kids. It was very demanding, especially when it came to negotiating the corners where you had to reduce your speed. Moreover, the race was held at night on an uneven grassy surface, and I remember there was even a big hole somewhere. Even those with strong, long legs found it hard to perform on this piece of grass. I remember there were a lot of talented athletes in the opposing team, but by practising on the site as much as we could beforehand, we finally overcame our disadvantages and beat them, much to everyone's surprise.

It's hard to trace the origin of this competition. Maybe it was an athletic activity invented by some idle students living in dormitory years ago. Unexpectedly it became a lively tradition for decades, and after so many years people still took it seriously. The effort made by the runners must have been something that was never anticipated by the creators of the event. Perhaps the only common point shared by the two torch relays is the fact that both have a lineage of creation by somebody who never expected it to last.

By Tuta

*Translation from Chinese article.