Course of the Force Announces Relay Stops, ‘TODAY’ Show Gets Excited

In honor of Star Wars Day, we have an update on the Star Wars-themed relay run, Course of the Force! The charity event released its schedule of relay stops this week in preparation for the epic journey to San Diego Comic-Con International in July.

For those not familiar with Course of the Force, Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist Industries has teamed up with Lucasfilm and Machinima to sponsor a five-day Olympic-torch-style lightsaber relay run along the California coastline. The participants will take their first steps on July 7th at the Santa Monica pier and finish on July 11th at San Diego’s Balboa Theatre with a big celebration. Not only does the event sound like the ultimate display of Star Wars geekdom, but one hundred percent of the runner proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Fans interested in participating in Course of the Force can still register on the website. But what about fans unable to attend the relay? Fear not, the Nerdist Channel and StarWars.com will broadcast the entire relay so Course of the Force supporters can see all of the action. Here’s the schedule of the stops so you can be sure to stay up to speed.

• Saturday, July 7: Starts at 1:00 p.m. at Santa Monica Pier; ends 7:00 p.m. at Redondo Beach Pier
• Sunday, July 8: Starts at 7:00 a.m. at Redondo Beach Pier; ends at 4:30 p.m. at Huntington Beach Pier
• Tuesday, July 10: Starts at 7:00 a.m. at Oceanside Pier; ends at 5:30 p.m. at Crystal Pier, Pacific Beach
• Wednesday, July 11: Starts at 7:00 a.m. at Crystal Pier, Pacific Beach; ends at 12:30 p.m. at San Diego

With Course of the Force and Comic-Con still two months away, we expect to hear more exciting news from Nerdist and other sponsors coming soon! For more information, check out the official Course for the Force site here and/or watch the video below of Chris Hardwick’s appearance on the Today Show, where he tells with Matt Lauer and company what the event is all about (with lightsabers in hand).