We Run for Africa – Dakar 2026 Flame Tour Toolkit sparks continent-wide engagement

The toolkit builds on the success of the Road to Dakar 2026 initiative, which brought together more than 25 Olympafrica centres in 2025 to mark one year to go until Dakar 2026. African NOCs are once again invited to take part in a continent-wide activation, using sport and movement to bring the Olympic values to life and build momentum ahead of the YOG.

Designed for delivery primarily through Olympafrica centres, the toolkit provides practical guidance for organising a one-day educational and sports relay with the theme “Pass the Energy”. Through a combination of physical activity and educational sessions, young people will have the opportunity to discover the Olympic values while celebrating a historic milestone for the continent.

“As an Olympian, I know the feeling that the Olympic flame can create,” said International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. “It brings excitement. It brings people together. And it reminds us that sport has the power to inspire us to dream bigger.”

Olympic Solidarity will provide funding to each participating African NOC organising activities on 12 September to celebrate the arrival of the Youth Olympic flame on African soil.

A toolkit to inspire and engage young people

With the collective symbolic goal of covering 30,500 kilometres – the approximate circumference of Africa – children aged six to 16 are invited to run or walk and take part in a range of sport- and values-based activities included in the toolkit. By contributing an average of 5 kilometres each, based on their individual abilities, participants can help achieve this shared milestone.

Designed to be adaptable, inclusive and accessible, the toolkit provides guidance for 16 activities across four categories, with each activity corresponding to a specific number of symbolic kilometres:

• core activities – including running, walking, jumping and doing sport; 
• art and culture – inspiring creativity through music, dance and crafts; 
• sustainability – educating participants on caring for the environment; and 
• future thinking – encouraging children to dream of the world of tomorrow and imagine the future of the Olympic Movement and African sport.

As participants complete activities and collect kilometres, they receive a diploma recognising them as “Torchbearers of Education”.

“It is not just a tour, but a school of values,” said Mustapha Berraf, an IOC Member and President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA). “Through this toolkit, we are providing every NOC with the tools to ignite this flame in the hearts of our young people and prepare them to write the first chapter of Africa’s Olympic history.”

Another milestone on the road to Dakar 2026

The initiative also reinforces the momentum generated by the “Brevet Olympique, Civique et Sportif” (BOCS), the educational programme of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Launched in 2022 and drawing on OVEP, the BOCS has already engaged more than a million young people in Olympic values-based initiatives, exceeding its original target of 900,000 participants ahead of the start of the Games. 

“Reaching over one million beneficiaries before the Games begin is an exceptional achievement. It demonstrates that the legacy of Dakar 2026 is already a tangible reality,” said Fanta Diallo, Director of Engagement for Dakar 2026. “Behind this number are more than one million young people, teachers, families and communities who are embracing the Olympic values and bringing them to life on a daily basis.”

The Dakar 2026 Flame Tour celebration – “Pass the Energy”

The Youth Olympic flame will arrive in Dakar on 12 September and embark on a nationwide journey across all 14 regions of Senegal, before returning to the capital ahead of Dakar 2026. This will mark a defining moment: Africa welcoming the Youth Olympic flame and sharing its energy with the world.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.

About the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP)

OVEP consists of a series of easily accessible teaching resources that complement school curricula using the context of Olympic sports and the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. Made available by the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, these resources help NOCs implement values-based education initiatives by reducing financial barriers to delivery. OVEP promotes the long-term benefits of sport and physical activity while fostering an understanding of the Olympic values and their positive impact on individual well-being, enjoyment and social interaction.

About Olympic Solidarity

The mission of Olympic Solidarity is to provide assistance to NOCs, in particular those with the greatest need, through a set of multi-faceted programmes designed to help them develop their athletes and athletes’ entourages, while also encouraging the promotion of the Olympic principles and values.