SICHEL FACES 12 HOUR CHALLENGE

World ranked ultra runner and Orkney Athletic Club member, William Sichel from Sanday, is about to embark on an exciting series of races taking place over the next few months the first of which is the ‘Boston Games’ 12 Hour track race taking place in Sheffield on Saturday/Sunday August 4th/5th.

The Boston Games is a new event being staged over a complete weekend at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield and is promoting itself as the first truly integrated athletics event anywhere in the world with able-bodied athletes competing along side disabled competitors. The weekend will consist of a Miniathlon, Pentathlon (for athletes in wheelchairs), Heptathlon and 800m graded races. The 12 hour track race which will commence at 8pm on the Saturday and run overnight to 8am the next morning.

William will be returning to the same stadium where he claimed third place in April at the George Littlewood 6hr track race when he covered 47.23 miles.

“I need another medium length race in order to test out an improved feeding plan for 24hr events. I know from previous experience that anything shorter than 12 hours can be misleading so this race will fit the bill very nicely. If all goes well I would hope to cover over 80 miles but we will just have to wait and see how it goes on the night.”

Since early June William has hit a ‘purple patch’ in training. This follows various changes to his training and a visit to his sports psychologist in Norway. Because of this William has altered his racing plans for the rest of the year.

“Because I am running so well at the moment I want to have another go at the 100km, an event I haven’t raced seriously for over two years, as I have been learning the 24hr event. It will be interesting to see if I could now improve my personal best going ‘down’ to a shorter event again. Following Sheffield I plan to run the 35 mile Two Bridges race (Dunfirmline) on August 25th for the first time and then have a crack at the European 100km (62 mile) Championships being held on September 29th in Holland. I will then go for a big distance in a 24hr race in France in late November.”

William was voted Orkney’s first ‘Sportsman of the Year’ in November 2000. He is a member of the Moray Road Runners and the Orkney Athletic Club. With his wife, Elizabeth, he runs the Orkney Angora mail order craft business in Sanday.

William is grateful to sponsors Orkney Meat (main sponsor), The Ayre Hotel, The Orcadian, Crantit Dairy (Orkney Ice Cream) and Saucony UK. William also receives a grant from the sportScotland Lottery Fund.

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

Photographs:
Newsline Scotland (Press Agency). Tel 01224 594000. photos@newsline-scotland.co.uk
Ken Amer, Orkney Photographic. Tel 01856 873574, Mobile 0780 896 1780 orkneyphoto@sol.co.uk

29/7/01