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William Sichel, 54, Scotland’s leading ultra distance internationalist, travels to Hamm, Germany to make an attempt on a 126 year old record, the oldest in Scottish athletic history. The record, 546 miles – that’s almost 21 marathons - in six days, was set by George Cameron in New York in 1882.
Running under his professional name George ‘Noremac’, the Edinburgh born Scot was a professional athlete living in America and competing on the professional circuit. The record was set on a purpose-built indoor track but William will have to make do with an outdoor, red cinders track at the Adolf Bruhl Stadium in Hamm near Dortmund. The race runs from 1pm UK time on Sunday June 29th to 1pm on Saturday July 5th.
This will be William’s third Six Day race and his first on a track. William remains unbeaten in this gruelling event having twice won the Monaco Six Day road race with an improved distance each year. Formerly World No1 and ranked World No3 last year, William has a current best of 502.8 miles (just over 19 marathons) and lies 3rd on the Scottish All-Time list of best performances since records began in the 1800’s.
“When I won the Monaco race last year I improved my best by almost a marathon and that was despite very poor weather conditions for the last 3 days. I’m hopeful that if the weather is reasonable I’ve got a fighting chance of challenging the old record.”
William will have a single crewman for the first three days and a full crew of three people for the last three days when the pressure is really on.
Not content with going for such a long standing record William will also put his unbeaten six day record under severe threat as also running in Hamm will be Germany’s Wolfgang Schwerk, who has opened 2008 with victories in the Athens 7 day race and the New York 10 day event as well as being one of the very few humans to have a personal best of over 600 miles in six days.
William is fresh from his fine 5th place in his debut performance in the “World 48 Hour Championships” in Surgere, France in May.
In order to allow more people to be involved with the race William has arranged for his web site www.williamsichel.co.uk to be updated during the race. Thanks to Alan Young and Orcadia Design for this.
William is grateful to sponsors: Myprotein, Loganair & The Orcadian
About William Sichel:
William is the current World No3 for the Six Day event after winning in Monaco in November 2007 and World No12 in the 48 Hour event.
William is the current Scottish 48 Hour record holder (indoor) with 213.9 miles. He is also a British record holder (M50 age group) for the Six Day event.
The first Commonwealth Championships for the Ultra Distance running events of 100km and 24 Hours will take place in Keswick in October 2009.
William currently lies 5th on the “All time” list of British road 24 hour performances with his run of 153.3 miles/246.70km in 2000. He is also 3rd on the Scottish “All time” list of 6 day performances.
William is a member of the Orkney Athletic Club and in November 2006 was honoured by the Orkney Islands Council for “outstanding achievements in sport”.
With his wife, Elizabeth, he runs the Orkney Angora (hand dyeing specialists) mail order business in Sanday, Orkney.
Although born in the Northamptonshire village of Welford and brought up in the south east of England, William has lived in the Orkney island of Sanday since 1982. William’s father was born in Kelvinside, Glasgow before moving south at a young age.
Making contact:
William Sichel, Upper Breckan, Sanday, Orkney KW17 2AZ.
Tel: 01857 600421; Fax: 0709 288 3499; Mobile 0794 128 3506.
william@williamsichel.co.uk Web site: www.williamsichel.co.uk
William's CV:
World No3 for the Six Day event with outright win and course record in Monaco Six Day race -809.230km/502.8 miles. British age group record. (2007)
Scottish event record in the world's longest point-to-point race - the 153 mile "Spartathlon" in Greece (2007)
First Scottish Record (indoor)- 48 Hour 344.267km/213.92 miles (2007)
World No1 for the Six Day event with 770.247km/478.60 miles, Monaco course record & outright winner (2006)
British event record in the 29th running of the "World's Hottest Race" the Badwater Ultramarathon (2006)
First Scot, ever, to complete the world's longest point-to-point race - the 153 mile "Spartathlon" in Greece (2005)
"Across the Years" 24hr, Phoenix, Arizona, outright winner (2005)
World 24Hr Championships Age-Group Silver (2004)
Guinness World Records (treadmill) 100 miles & 24hrs (2002)
World 24hr ranking No12 (1998 & 2000)
Basel 24 Hr, Switzerland, outright winner (2000)
British 100km Champion (1999)
Masters World 100km Champion (1998)
European 100km Championships: Team bronze medal (1997)
Scottish 100km Champion (1994)
Represented Great Britain 11 times since 1996:100km team x 8 & 24hr team x 3
William's Personal Bests
Marathon: 2:38:17 (1995)
100km: 7:07:49 (1996)
12hr: Track 141.50km/87.92 miles (2001)
24hr: 246.70km/153.30M (2000)
48hr (Indoor): 344.267km/213.92 miles (2007) – Scottish record
48hr (Track): 340.80km/211miles (2008)
Six Days: 809.230km/502.8 miles (2007)
William competing in the 48 Hour “World Championships” in France in May
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