SICHEL TO RUN 35 Mile ‘TWO BRIDGES’ RACE

Sanday’s international ultra distance runner William Sichel (49) has decided to compete in the 35th running of the Two Bridges 35 mile road race this Saturday August 23rd. Amazingly this will be William’s shortest race for almost 3½ years as he now concentrates on the longer ultras in particular the 24hr event.

William is running this race in order to boost his fitness in readiness for the World 24hr Championships which will take place in October in Holland. UK Athletics has yet to publish the team selections for this event, the pinnacle of 24hr running in the world calendar.

This will be William’s first appearance in this popular ultra distance event which starts in Dunfirmline and finishes at Rosyth with runners crossing both the Kincardine and Forth road bridges. Although the first 20 miles are flat the final 15 miles are considered very tough with a succession of sharp climbs and descents, then the long drag over the Forth road bridge followed by a couple more climbs before descending to the finish.

William feels that he has now recovered fully from his last event, the Cologne 48hr road race in Germany where William recorded over 158 miles in mid-July.

Last December William set new Guinness World Records for both 100 miles and 24hrs on the treadmill. William was voted Orkney’s first ‘Sportsman of the Year’ in November 2000. He is a member of the Orkney Athletic Club. With his wife, Elizabeth, he runs the Orkney Angora mail order knitwear business in Sanday, Orkney.

William would like to welcome Loganair on-board as a new sponsor. Loganair will assist William in some of his flights to major ultra distance events.

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

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’.

18/8/03