Dame Denise Lewis has hailed the ongoing King’s Baton Relay as a brilliant opportunity to bring out the best in local communities.

The relay is held around the world prior to the start of the Commonwealth Games and on this occasion will finish at the opening ceremony in Glasgow on 23 July to mark the start of the 23rd edition of the event.

King Charles III started the relay at Buckingham Palace on 10 March 2025 – 500 days before the start of the Games – by handing Sir Chris Hoy the baton, which contains a written message from The King and will come to England on 26 May, where a series of events are planned to celebrate the six-day stint.

“The baton symbolises connectivity from country to country as it moves around the Commonwealth,” said Lewis, who won Commonwealth Games heptathlon gold in 1994 and 1998.

“It’s that call to the attention of the Commonwealth that the Games are happening, and that people and communities can get engaged with the baton and its journey.

“There’s that level of anticipation when you know you’re going to be one of those baton relay runners.

“People will feel a sense of pride that they are representing their community. They’ve got family and friends who can get involved. It is just very special to be part of it, to witness it, and for that culmination [of the relay] when it arrives in the stadium for the first time.”

Lewis was part of the Queen’s Baton Relay – the name of the event while Queen Elizabeth II was head of the Commonwealth – back in 2002 ahead of the Games in Manchester and remembers fondly her experience with the baton in Bournville.

“It’s about the community,” the 53-year-old continued. “It’s about the people, the hands that actually connect to that baton as it passes through different places - through Birmingham at that time.

“They were iconic moments in my own journey. It lets you know that you were part of something really special.”

The King’s Baton Relay, which is being supported by Team England’s official automotive partner, Geely, will travel across the length and breadth of the Commonwealth, travelling to all 74 nations and territories along the way, and will see thousands of Batonbearers involved.

The Games will be the first with the King as head of the Commonwealth, and Lewis is confident the future of the quadrennial international multi-sport event will be a bright one.

She added: “It will be a lovely thing for the King to witness the Games now he is in charge of the realm and the Commonwealth.

“We’re moving into a new era with the Commonwealth Games as well. So that change of leadership will hopefully signify more to come from the Commonwealth as it continues to evolve and change for the better.”

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