Over 50 locations in the U.S. alone, including Illinois State, are registered participants in the light relay. On the evening of the 18^th, ISU participants will spread across as large a distance as is necessary to bridge the gap to other nearby participants in Illinois and send a light signal along the relay. The signal can include any unobtrusive light source, including torches or car headlights.

The route will proceed from Princeton across the U.S. to San Luis Obispo, California, via transpacific fiber cable to East Asia and Oceania, arriving in China on April 19. The northern route will include Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The southern route is comprised of India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary. Both routes will then join again in Austria and go through Switzerland in route to France. From there the signal is sent via transatlantic fiber cable back to the U.S. to arrive in Princeton after its 24-hour journey.