SICHEL TREKS EAST IN SEARCH OF WORLD QUALIFIER

International ultra distance runner, William Sichel from Sanday , who has represented Great Britain 11 times since 1996, travels this week into the heart of eastern Europe to compete in the well established Brno 48 hour indoor race taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 19 th -21 st March in the Czech Republic.

William will try and pass 230km/143 miles during the first 24 hours as this is the tough new UK Athletic's 24 hour individual qualifying distance for this year's World 24hr Championships in Holland.

“This is the only chance I've got of running for GB in the Worlds in May. I'll really run hard for the first 24hrs to try and make the new qualifying distance then I'll take a break and enjoy the second half of the race. I can benefit from doing ‘over –distance' and maybe try out some different things during the second half of the event.”

William will be leaving in plenty of time as he must first fly to Prague and then the following day be driven 120 miles to the Moravian capital of Brno in the east of the country. The race will feature about 50 starters, mainly east Europeans, and will be run indoors in a large exhibition centre on a 250m smooth, concrete circuit. Lap counting will be controlled by computer chips on the runner's shoes. Running direction will be reversed every 4 hours.

“Training has gone pretty well although I have had to use the treadmill a bit more than usual due to the weather. I will be putting into practise a number of new initiatives to control stomach problems which have blighted many of my 24hr performances in the past.”

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 trains on the treadmill during the recent wintry weather.

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'.

15/03/04