Hundreds of Cincinnatians watched Monday as a cauldron of fire was lit outside Paul Brown Stadium as Cincinnati became the 25th U.S. city to host the Olympic flame.

Mike Fremont, 79, of Glendale lights his torch on Hamilton Avenue. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        Running their way through tough winds and rain, torch bearers expressed pride and excitement as they wound their way from Mount Healthy to the celebration at the stadium downtown.

        There were cheers as UC basketball great Kenyon Martin, the final torch bearer, ran through a crowd of umbrellas just before 8 p.m. to light the cauldron. The Winton Woods Concert Choir sang “Light the Fire Within,” written by local songwriter Dan Landau. A fireworks display capped the evening.

        “If Cincinnati can't host the Olympics, I guess this is the next best thing,” said Pamela King, 45, of Colerain Township.

        The first leg of the local run began about 10 minutes late in driving rain with 79-year-old Mike Fremont of Glendale.

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        About 100 people turned out, clutching kids and cameras to watch Mr. Fremont, president of Rivers Unlimited, carry his torch.

        Holding it with both hands, Mr. Fremont ran 1,000 feet along Hamilton Avenue. When asked what he was going to take away from the experience, he quipped: “A warm suit and gloves.”

        But then added, “It's been fun for me, but I felt bad for my friends who had to stand out in the rain.”

Crowd on Madison Avenue in Covington cheers torchbearer. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Along Clifton Avenue near Good Samaritan Hospital, about two dozen family, friends and University of Cincinnati Law School colleagues frantically cheered as 55-year-old Barbara Watts exited a van with a flaming torch. The crowd erupted into even louder cheers as Don McGeorge, 47, of Union, Ky., who had just run about half a mile, lit Ms. Watts' torch at about 6:45 p.m.

        Pam Rayome, 42, of Mount Lookout braved the lousy weather to support her sister.

        “It really is an amazing moment for a longtime fan of the Olympics, like my sister,” she said, as other relatives waved American flags and snapped pictures.

        “It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I wouldn't miss,” said Marlene Shatzer, 63, of College Hill as she held a soaked plastic Sears bag over her head as the rain fell.

Brian Walker, 18, of Westwood, carries the torch along RiverCenter Boulevard inCovington. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        As part of the 65-day journey to Salt Lake City, the local run amounts to about 34 miles of torch carrying by at least 111 designated bearers. The ceremony continues today in Covington.

        Nationally, the flame passes through 250 cities in 46 states with help from 11,500 torch bearers along a 13,500-mile route. From Atlanta, it goes west to Texas, northeast to New England, west to Chicago and through Michigan, west to Nebraska, south to Texas and New Mexico, north to Oregon, Washington and Alaska, and finally southeast to Salt Lake City.

        At the Kroger store on Hamilton Avenue in College Hill, Melissa Merrill-Reeder, 22, of Anderson Township carried the torch in a wheelchair as the Aiken High School band played music in the parking lot.

        “I'm a little wet, a little cold, but I feel wonderful,” she said. “This is the most important, fantastic thing I've done in my life.”

        Kevin Aldridge, Jennifer Edwards, Stephanie Steitzer and Earnest Winston contributed to this report.

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