The relay began with Liao Hui, a gold medalist weightlifter at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, taking the torch from Jiang Chaoliang, Party secretary of Hubei province. Chinese hammer throw champion Zhang Wenxiu, a three-time Olympic medalist, was the last to carry the torch.

The 100 torchbearers consisted of Olympic champions, Military World Games participants, researchers, experts, soldiers and foreign representatives from the military sports council's member states.

Ma Xu, 86, a former military medical worker and airborne soldier, ran the 98th leg of the relay. She was the day's oldest torchbearer. In 2018, Ma donated her life savings of 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) to support the educational and cultural development of her hometown in Heilongjiang province.