WILLIAM IN 48 HOUR RECORD CHASE IN CZECH REPUBLIC

Sanday ultra distance runner William Sichel opens his 2006 season with a trip to the Moravian capital, Brno, for this weekend's Czech Indoor 48 hour Championships which start at 9am on Friday March 24th and finishes at 10am on Sunday 26th March – the extra hour is to allow for the clocks going forward during the event.

William will be making his first serious attempt on two British athletic records.  

"The records I have decided to go for are the British Age Group 24 hour indoor record of 212.97km/132.3 miles which was set way back in 1988.  I then plan to 'hang on' and attempt to surpass the overall British 48 hour indoor best of 351.2kms/218.2 miles.  The latter record is almost 20 years old so has been on the books for a long time now."

William is be accompanied by handler Alan Young who will be attending William for the fourth time in ultra distance events.

"Alan loves all the statistics, the pacing, the lap times, all the data.  So he will be trying to keep me on track throughout the event."

The records are good which is why they been unbroken for so long.  William knows he will need a trouble free run to get near them.

"I know from past experience that I can do well when chasing competitive targets.  That’s why I’ve decided to go for these records."

This will be William’s third attempt at a 48 hour event and marks a return to the venue he last visited in 2004.  His current 48 hour best is 254.8km/158.3 miles achieved on a road course in Germany in 2003.

In a new move and in an attempt to allow more people to get involved in his events William has arranged for his web site www.williamsichel.co.uk to be updated regularly, throughout the event, so his progress can be followed.  I am indebted to web design company Orcadia Design and my handler Alan Young for this service.

William currently lies 5th on the "All time" list of British road 24 hour performances with his run of 153.3 miles in 2000 and is currently ranked overall No2 in Great Britain in the 24 hour event with his outright win in the 'Across the Years' 24 hour race in Phoenix in January 2005 completing 136.4 miles.

William is a member of the Orkney Athletic Club and was voted Orkney's 'Veteran Sportsman of the Year' for the second successive year in November 2005.  He 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 and yarn business in Sanday, Orkney.

William is grateful to sponsors: dion_networks, Loganair and The Orcadian.

End.

Comment from Orkney Athletic Club: please contact Ronnie Johnston ronnie.johnson@orkney.uhi.ac.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

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’.

20/3/06