If you didn’t think that Comic-Con could get any more epic, then get ready for the inaugural run of the ‘Course of the Force’ Lightsaber relay! Similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, the Course of the Force will have participants run from Santa Monica to San Diego with an official Hasbro Ultimate FX Lightsaber in hand arriving just in time to kick off the start of the San Diego Comic-Con.
To officially help kick off the event, a ‘Course of the Force’ preview video was released and explains the “origin” story of ‘Course of the Force’ and features cameos by R2D2, Boba Fett, Ewoks and Tusken Raiders and ‘The Walking Dead’ creator Robert Kirkman. The video is called ‘A Lightsaber’s Journey’ and follows ‘The Nerdist’ Chris Hardwick as he delivers the all-important Lightsaber from Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic all the way to the Santa Monica Pier.
The event, which is held partnership with Lucasfilm, Ltd., Nerdist Industries and Octagon, will help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. ‘Course the Force’ will begin at 10am in Santa Monica, California at the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, July 7th. Kicking off the relay will be a “con”ival with live music, giveaways by event sponsors, concession and merchandise stands as well as appearances and autographs by celebrities such as Peter Mayhew (who played Chewbacca), Drew Carey, Zachary Levi (‘Chuck,’ ‘Thor 2’), Michael Rosenbaum (‘Justice League: Doom,’ ‘Smallville’), Jessica Parker Kennedy (‘The Secret Circle,’ ‘In Time’) and Tyler Posey (‘Teen Wolf’) to name just a few.
At 1pm, Hardwick along with kids from the Make A Wish Foundation will begin the first segment of the inaugural ‘Course of the Force’ from the Santa Monica Pier. The lightsaber will then be handed off to registered participants who will then run in quarter mile increments (much less than 12 parsecs!) until the lightsaber is brought to Comic-Con! A full schedule of the stops and the “con”ivals along the way can be found on the ‘Course of the Force’ website.
Last heard, there were still spots on Sunday, July 8 and Tuesday, July 10 for fans to sign up and participate in ‘Course of the Force’. All runners will receive a custom Hasbro Ultimate FX Lightsaber and a limited-edition collectable swag bag complete with Star Wars graphic novels, sunglasses, toothbrushes, cups, Fighter Pod Mystery Packs, Jedi wristbands, Angry Birds towels, LEGOLAND hats, Archaia publishing posters and John Tower buttons. And the best part is that 100% of the registration fee goes to Make A Wish! Although not a requirement, runners are encouraged to come decked out in their best Star Wars or other cosplay outfits.
So get ready for Saturday! Although the shining symbol of athleticism of the Olympic torch is currently being handed off in Britain, it’s the ‘Course of the Force’ lightsaber that will shine in Southern California beginning tomorrow!
