Dar es Salaam is gearing up for the arrival of the Olympic torch in East Africa on April 13.
This will be the second time that the torch is coming to Africa after its continental debut in Cape Town and Cairo prior to the 2004 Athens games.
Dar es Salaam is one of 22 cities around the world chosen to host the Olympic torch relay, whose slogan is "Light the passion, share the dream."
High-profile personalities from East, South and Central Africa are to converge in Dar es Salaam, among them Kenya's Paul Tergat, a renowned world-class runner, who will train participants for the half-marathon scheduled for April 6.
Other dignitaries expected are: Nobel Laureate and leading Kenyan environmentalist Prof Wangari Maathai; Olympic gold medallist Kipchoge Keino; Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi Dr Anna Tibaijuka; Congolese conservationist Pierre Kakule Vwirasihikya; the president of Coca-Cola Company East and Central Africa, Zimbabwe's Nathan Kalumbu and Ugandan athlete Dorcas Inzikuru.
Inzikuru, Uganda's most famous woman athlete, is credited with ending her country's 33-year world title drought when she won the inaugural 3,000 metres women's steeplechase at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
According to a spokesperson from Coca Cola East and Central Africa, the torch is scheduled to arrive in Dar es Salaam from Buenos Aires and will be received by mayor Adam Kimbisa.
The parent company of the giant soft drinks manufacturer has been sponsoring the Olympic torch relay since 1992, when the Games were held in Atlanta, US, the headquarters of the company.
The torch relay programme includes a run through the historic sections of Dar es Salaam, before the torch leaves for Muscat, Oman.
This year's Olympic Games, to be held in August in Beijing, China, are centred on environmental conservation and have been dubbed the Green Olympics.
The relay activities worldwide will contribute to environmental awareness through donation of seedlings, revival of environmental clubs in schools as well as tree planting.
The Tanzanian organisers are offering cash and other prizes for the half marathon (21km) to be held on April 6, for both the men and women's category.
The half-marathon will be flagged off at the Kinondoni Biafra Grounds, loop around the National Stadium and end at the starting point. There will be a 5km family fun run at the Biafra Grounds.
The Olympic torch relay is part of activities planned as a build-up to the Olympic games and is second only in prestige to the Games themselves.This year's relay will last 130 days, travelling over a distance of 137,000 km, the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay, although most of the journey will be by air.
Apart from the 22 cities across the world, the relay will also go through every province in China.
The climax of the event will be the lighting of the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the games in Beijing's national stadium on August 8.
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