SICHEL CHASES 137 MILE TARGET IN GERMANY

Sanday’s international ultra distance runner William Sichel (48) travels to Cologne this week in an attempt to achieve the 137 mile qualifying distance laid down by UK Athletics for those athletes wishing to be considered for selection for September’s European 24hr Championships in France.

The Cologne 24hr race is being held for the 14th time on a road course in a park near the Rhine. About 100 starters are exepected. Every lap time of the mile long course will be recorded by a team of lap scorers working throughout the 24 hours.

William, ranked No1 in Britain, for the 24hr event, for the past 4 years and twice reaching No12 in the World, is running a 24hr race for the first time since May of last year due to a persistent shin injury that has kept him out of races for some months.

“My last actual race was the Sheffield 12hr last August where I won the race with a personal best distance of 87.9 miles. My training since then has been very intermittent with continual bouts of shin soreness hampering my preparations. I have had 6 weeks steady training since the middle of May and I hope that this will allow me to reach the qualifying standard, although I admit it is a bit of a long shot.”

Conditions are expected to be hot and William has prepared meticulously by undergoing “heat training” under heat lamps whilst running on a treadmill in order to acclimatise to the kind of conditions he is likely to meet in Germany.

“I normally do this sort of preparation for all my overseas races as it would otherwise be a waste of time going if I was going to complain about the heat as soon as I arrived. I have found the “heat training” effective and you feel as though you have done everything possible to prepare correctly for the event.”

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 07808 961780 info@orkneyphotographic.co.uk

8/7/02