LIMA, Ohio - Cynthia Bojarski hardly could contain herself as her husband, Joe, stood before the Olympic Torch - the big one, the one lit in Athens and bound for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

“Light it,” she urged impatiently, trying to hold her camera steady and fight back tears at the same time.

Finally, Mr. Bojarski, 35, of Perrysburg, climbed aboard the Chevrolet Avalanche that held the Olympic flame and lit the hand-held torch he and 25 others would carry through Lima.

Cameras flashed. Flags waved. Friends and strangers cheered. Truck drivers at the nearby Buckeye Truck Center blew the air horns on their semis. Mrs. Bojarski ran around, snapping pictures as her husband began his 0.2-mile portion of the 13,500-mile Olympic torch relay.

She had nominated her husband, president of Toledo's Softlink Computer Solutions, for the honor.

“I kept it short and sweet,” Mrs. Bojarski said. “I just said that he's a pretty terrific guy, a wonderful human being, a hard worker. He inspires me to be a better person.”

Though each runner had his or her own story, the hundreds of people who lined the 5.4-mile route from Hanthorn Road to the state prison on the north side of Lima knew only that they were witnessing a bit of history.

“We live in Lima, and we're here supporting our town and all the runners. This is history for my children too,” said Kathy Klett, who had daughters Lauren, 12, by her side and Michaela, 2, next to her in her stroller.

The 1.5-hour stop in Lima was the closest the 46-state, 65-day torch relay will come to the Toledo area, although on Sunday the relay will pass through Detroit. The flame is to arrive in Salt Lake City on Feb. 8.

Former Owens-Illinois executive Bill Niehous of Toledo is among those scheduled to run in Detroit. Mr. Niehous, who was kidnapped in 1976 and held hostage by Venezuelan nationals for three years, said he may “run” his portion in a wheelchair since he suffered a perforated appendix Sunday.

Participants in the relay can perform their leg as quickly or slowly as they want. Yesterday in the Dayton suburb of Kettering, Sarah McClelland carried the flame while being pushed in a wheelchair, then turned it over to a relay organizer as she completed the relay with the help of a walker. At 102, she is the oldest torch carrier for the 2002 Olympics.

Earlier in the day the 3-pound torch was in Columbus and Springfield.

In Lima, most seemed to savor the moment.

Former Hamler Mayor Elmer Fuhrhop, 78, promised the relay organizers he would do “a fast walk.”

“In October we went to Dayton for an orientation and they had a physical therapist there showing us how to stretch,” Mr. Fuhrhop said. “I told him, I got 78 years in this way. I'm not going to start doing that now.”

With an enthusiastic troupe of supporters, Darren Scott, 38, of Alger finished his leg of the relay in the electric cart he frequently uses to get around. He has Lou Gehrig's disease and walks only short distances with the help of a cane.

“This is neat,” he said before the relay. “There are so many friends and family that have come to watch this. I'll have to have plastic surgery to remove my smile.”

His friend Tim Ridings had nominated him, pointing out how the disease had taken the life of Mr. Scott's father, two cousins, and a great aunt and had claimed Mr. Scott's muscle mass and coordination. He had been a champion wrestler.

“Throughout, Darren remains positive, he continues coaching and teaching and even speaks to many schools and churches about his disease and faith,” Mr. Ridings wrote. “Darren should carry the torch and be a champion athlete once again.”

Nancy Kessler of Carey nominated her husband, and he nominated her. His testimonial apparently carried more weight. “He didn't get it. I felt really bad,” Mrs. Kessler, 46, said.

She was nervous and excited about taking part in the relay, but not too worried about finishing her leg.

“They kept telling us to make sure you can do it. I run 5-Ks all the time and I ran a marathon so I thought I can do it,” Mrs. Kessler said with a laugh.

Despite chilly temperatures and a strong wind, spectators appeared along every street on the route. Men nailing shingles on a new garage stopped working to watch the caravan from their rooftop vantage point.

Two motorcyclists escorted the runners, at times joined by children on bikes. By 3:40 p.m. the caravan was out of town, heading for Fort Wayne, Ind.

Lima City Parks Director Kathey Roberts said she does not know how Lima was chosen for part of the relay, but she was thrilled by the attention and the swarms of out-of-town visitors.

“We're a wonderful little town. We're in the heart of Ohio,” she said with a laugh. “It works. We're right off the highway.”

First Published January 4, 2002, 11:34 a.m.