SICHEL TACKLES WEST HIGHLAND WAY

Sanday's international ultra distance runner William Sichel, moves away from his favoured road races to tackle his first proper trail race on Saturday 7 th August when he joins over 70 starters for the "Devil o' the Highlands" 43 mile race from Tyndrum to Fort William on the West Highland Way .

Starting at 6am the runners are required to have a back-up vehicle with two helpers who ‘leap frog' along the course to supply their runner with food and drinks as required. In the case of bad weather and delayed arrival at one of the four check points, the helpers are required to run back down the course to find the missing runner.

"I've always wanted to have a look at this course which is one of the closest ultra races to Orkney and this year there is a gap in my calendar at just the right time so I'm going to have a crack at it. I've been doing a lot of my long runs off road to familiarise myself to running on rough terrain. I'm a bit concerned about getting lost but I've been told that the route is pretty well marked nowadays so hopefully I'll be able to find my way."

Whatever happens it will be a long, hard run for William as he builds up for his next road race, the World 100km Championships in Holland on September 11 th .

William is a long term member of the Orkney Athletic Club and in December 2002 William set new Guinness World Records for both 100 miles and 24hrs on the treadmill. With his wife, Elizabeth, he runs the Orkney Angora mail order knitwear business in Sanday , Orkney.

William is grateful to sponsors Orkney Meat (main sponsor), The Ayre Hotel, The Orcadian and Crantit Dairy (Orkney Ice Cream) and Loganair .

William's running web site, which is being developed as a resource for ultra running in general, can be found at www.williamsichel.co.uk

Picture caption: William completing 134.4 miles in the Apeldoorn 24hr road race in May.

Making contact:

William Sichel, Upper Breckan , Sanday , Orkney KW17 2AZ. Tel/Fax: 01857 600421. Mobile (whilst travelling only) 0794 128 3506. william@williamsichel.co.uk Running web site: http://www.williamsichel.co.uk/

Photographs:

Newsline Scotland (Press Agency). Tel 01224 594000. photos@newsline-scotland.co.uk

Ken Amer , Orkney Photographic. Tel 01856 873574, Mobile 07808 961780 info@orkneyphotographic.co.uk

William Sichel, ‘Free to use' photographs can be down loaded from my on-line photo album. Go to: http://www.williamsichel.co.uk/ and click on ‘Photos'.

2/08/04