A GREAT Britain Olympic hockey player and a television presenter will be among the torchbearers who will run through the streets of St Ives and Huntingdon on Sunday (July 8).

Although the torch relay organisers have not yet confirmed her as a runner, MTV presenter Laura Whitmore, 27, has Tweeted that she will be holding aloft the torch in Huntingdon, making her the 11th torchbearer as the relay passes through the town.

Ben Hawes, who has been confirmed as a St Ives runner, has competed in two Olympic Games – Beijing in 2008 and Athens in 2004 – but had his biggest success with the England hockey squad, which won gold at the 2009 EuroHockey Championhips. The 31-year-old, who was born in East Sussex and plays hockey for Wimbledon, has won 83 England caps and appeared 62 times for the GB team, scoring 19 goals.

The St Ives relay will leave Meadow Lane, St Ives, at 7.54am with the runners – and a convoy of vehicles – following rolling roadblock along Meadow Lane and into St Ives town centre along Cromwell Place, through Market Hill and along The Pavement and Crown Street to The Broadway. From there the procession continues along The Waits to Ramsey Road, turning into Houghton Road where it will finish at the junction with Hill Rise.

Huntingdon’s relay will start at Hartford at 8.19am with the first runner picking up the torch in Main Street. The convoy will set off from near the Old Houghton Road junction and will continue along to Desborough Road where the flame will be taken to Huntingdon Olympic Gym in Mayfield Road.

After a 10-minute stop, the relay returns to Main Street for the journey into Huntingdon town centre, where it will go along Riverside Road and head up the High Street, continuing along to George Street and across the ring road.

The Huntingdon leg will finish close to the turn for the station.

If you’re planning to attend either leg of the relay, then plan to arrive early as the rolling road blocks will be in place 30-60 minutes before the torch arrives.

INFORMATION: For maps of the route, details about the runners and information on events in St Ives and Huntingdon after the torch has passed, visit www.huntspost24.co.uk