The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee (VANOC) said Monday it is planning the longest cross-country torch relay in Olympic history.

"We'll be taking this torch on the longest in-country relay in Olympic history, summer or winter -- some 35,000 kilometers. Expressed in different terms, it's almost the circumference of the Earth inside Canada," said John Furlong, CEO of VANOC, in the eastern city of Halifax.

The Vancouver relay flame, to be called "A Path of Northern Lights," will be carried by more than 12,000 torchbearers across each of Canada's 13 provinces and territories.

The relay will last about 100 days, with the flame arriving in Vancouver at B.C. Place Stadium on the evening of Feb. 12, 2010, Furlong said.

The Vancouver Olympics will be held from Feb. 12 to 28, 2010, while the Paralympic Games will run from March 12 to 21.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2008)