VICTORY IN USA IS 'BRILLIANT START' TO 2005 FOR SICHEL

Sanday ultra distance runner William Sichel had the perfect debut in the USA when winning the 22 nd edition of the 'Across the Years' 24 hour road race on December 31 st /January 1 st in Phoenix, Arizona.

William completed 136.4 miles/219.50km, his best distance for almost 5 years and the second best result ever recorded in this event.

Following a very competitive start from some runners William's main opposition was eventually provided by a female marathon runner Carolyn Smith of the USA. Smith, who competed in this year's US Olympic marathon trials, made a very strong start passing through 100 miles in 16hrs 49 minutes, some 20 minutes ahead of William.

"I didn't know who she was but I could tell by the way she ran that she was a quality performer. I decided that I would stick to my race plan and not try and race her before 16 hours had passed and that is what I did. As she tired I gradually caught and passed her and pulled well away towards the end."

William eventually finished some 8 miles ahead of Smith by the end of the 24 hours. The 24 hour race had 41 starters in this festival of ultra running which also included a 72 hour race and a 48 hour event – all events finishing together at 9am on January 1 st.

The earlier competitors in the 72 and 48 hour races had to cope with torrential rain spells but for the 24hr event the maximum temperature was 15 deg C dropping to about 5 deg at night. These cool, dry and cloudy conditions were good running conditions for visiting Europeans and William made the most of it.

"It was brilliant to win this one on my debut in the USA and great to do my best distance since May 2000 as well – a real bonus. I was able to run the whole race as well and didn't have to do any unscheduled walking at all which was great. Winning on home soil is good but overseas victories are something special and this is my second one now."

William is also grateful to the continued help of his 'support team' David Murrie - Head of Sport and Exercise Science, Paisley University – overall coach, Nils Vikander – Sports Psychologist, Brock University, Canada and Lorraine Cullen – Sports Dietitian at the Scottish Institute of Sport.

William, who finished 2004 as the UK No2 at the 24hr event, will now take an 'end of season' break of two or three weeks before resuming full training and finalising plans for 2005.

William was voted Orkney's '‘Veteran Sportsman of the Year' in November and has represented Great Britain 11 times at ultra distance running since 1996. William set new Guinness World Records for both 100 miles and 24hrs on the treadmill in December 2002. 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 , Crantit Dairy (Orkney Ice Cream), dion_networks 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

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'.

07/01/05