Full Biography
William’s approach to training, preparation, and the sustained career methodology that has produced 780 records.
Early Years
William Sichel was born on 1st October 1953. Like many great endurance athletes, his early relationship with his own body was complicated. As a child he was treated for knock knees with built-up shoes, and one leg remains an inch longer than the other — a structural imbalance that could have curtailed a running career before it began.
In May 1982, William made a life-changing decision: he moved to the remote Orkney island of Sanday, invited in by a woman named Elizabeth after knowing her for just three days. He would not leave for nearly four decades. The island — windswept, elemental, and utterly removed from the conveniences of mainland life — would shape not only who he was, but how he ran.
Shortly after arriving in Orkney, William developed a persistent weak chest. Through the 1980s, winter after winter brought chest infections. His doctor’s diagnosis was simple: “a weak chest.” The cure, as it turned out, was even simpler. Running. Once he started, the infections stopped. He never saw a doctor for it again.
From those health-driven beginnings, something deeper took hold. Running became not a remedy but a vocation — methodical, competitive, and increasingly ambitious. His competitive career began in earnest in the 1990s, and in 1995, at the age of 41, he set a marathon personal best of 2:38. For most runners, that would represent a ceiling. For William Sichel, it was a foundation.
Full Biography
William (born 1st October 1953) is a British and Scottish international ultra-marathon athlete who has set multiple ultra-distance running records — from 30 miles (48 km) on the track to 3,100 miles (4,989 km) on the road — at World, British and Scottish level, including age-group records.
William lived on the Orkney island of Sanday from 1982 until November 2019, when he relocated to the Orkney capital, Kirkwall.
Highlights of his career include: Marathon 2:38 (1995); 100 km (62 miles) 7:07 (1996); 24 Hours: 153 miles / 246 km (2000); 6 Days: 532 miles / 857 km (2008); 1,000 Miles (1,609 km): 13 days, 20 hours, 8 minutes, 1 second (2010); and the World’s Longest Certified Footrace — 3,100 Miles / 5,000 km (2014): 50 days, 15 hours, 6 minutes, 4 seconds. William is the only person over 60 to have ever finished that event, and the only British athlete to have finished inside the current 52-day cut-off.
Since 1994 William has competed in 112 ultra-marathon events, winning 18 of them. He has recorded 25,553 race miles (41,124 km) — an average of 230 miles per race.
He has made 18 international team appearances in total: 11 for Great Britain and 7 for Scotland.
In a project he called “Journey to 750”, William set out to accumulate 750 ultra running records at World, British and Scottish level, including age groups. That target was achieved in February 2020. The current total stands at 780 records, including 104 World Age-Group records.
Did You Know?
At talks and presentations, it’s not uncommon for people to approach William and say words to the effect of “It’s OK for you William, you’re the perfect physical specimen.” If only they knew.
The medical history
- —Knock knees as a child — treated with built-up shoes.
- —One leg an inch (2.5 cm) longer than the other. Not uncommon, but not straightforward either.
- —“Weak chest” from 1982–92, with repeated winter chest infections after moving to Orkney. Running cured it completely.
- —Testicular cancer in 1997. Surgery and radiotherapy followed — and an extraordinary recovery.
- —Raynaud’s Syndrome — poor circulation in fingers and toes. Not life-threatening, but an ongoing challenge.
- —Severe stomach issues during races for many years — vomiting in 29 out of 30 consecutive 24-hour races at one point. Addressed over time; no longer an obstacle to performance.
- —Hip replacement surgery in 2023, performed by Nordorthopaedics in Lithuania. Returned to competition. Became The Hip Replacement Runner.
What does suit him for ultra distance
- —Small & light — 5′5″ / 1.63 m tall, approximately 9 st 2 lbs / 58 kg.
- —Strong and robust for his size — always working on it.
- —Economical running style — good biomechanics, always being refined.
- —Good fat burner — fuel-efficient, fasted training a key tool, always working on it.
- —Mentally strong — always working on it.
Everything is a work in progress.
Philosophy
William’s main interest in the sport of ultra-distance running has always been personal curiosity and a deep fascination with all aspects of athletic performance. For him, the sport is simply an extension of traditional road and track racing — a certified distance and a stopwatch. For that reason, he has always focused his efforts on road, track and indoor ultras.
Once he got into multiday running in 2006, the historical aspects of the sport became of great interest — and remain one of his driving motivations today.
“Setting a record is creating a bit of history. I hope to continue making history for as long as I’m able to. Once a record is in the books it is there for posterity — an inspiration for others to aim for and break in the future.”
William Sichel
William is a strong believer in masters athletics. He believes that athletic performances by masters athletes are hugely unsung, and that people in their middle age and later years need role models to inspire them. He tries to be that — and to fly the flag for over-60s in sport.
He always considers a record to be borrowed — and hopes and expects that all of his records will one day be broken. That, to him, is the point.
Team Sichel
Behind every record is a team. William’s career has been built on the dedication, expertise and love of the people around him — from family who anchored him to home, to crew who kept him moving through the darkest hours of multi-day races.
My Family
Elizabeth Sichel
3rd April 1943 – 6th July 2017
Elizabeth invited William into her life on Sanday in May 1982, after knowing him for just three days. “I thought you had your head screwed on,” she told him years later. She was right — and she had her own head screwed on too. They formed a loving and supportive partnership that endured for 35 years and grew deeper as the years passed.
She wasn’t particularly interested in sport, unless William was doing it. But she became an indispensable part of Team Sichel in her own way — the backbone and glue of a career that took William to race venues around the world. Alan Young, William’s Crew Chief, put it best:
“Although Elizabeth only went to a handful of his races, she was the backbone and glue that has made Team Sichel so successful.”
— Alan Young, Crew Chief
Elizabeth was described by those who knew her as “kind, welcoming and colourful.” She became part of the fabric of the Sanday community — her greatest legacy there being the garden she developed over 35 years from a barren wilderness into an extraordinary series of diverse, colourful plantations. Elizabeth’s Memorial Garden continues to light up that part of the island.
Elizabeth passed away aged 74, on 6th July 2017, following a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. She had never left Orkney, and never quite made it home to Sanday.
Read William’s tribute to Elizabeth → | BBC Radio 4: The Listening Project — William & Elizabeth (2013) →
Daughters
Tanya and Bella
Grandchildren
Logan, Laila, Tilly and Isaac
Race Support Crew
The crew who travel to race venues across the world, managing nutrition, logistics, pacing and morale through the hardest hours of multi-day events.
Alan Young
Tanya and Bella
Wendy Edwards
Tim Rainey
Adrian Stott
Jessica Jones
Marja Hardus
Erica Clarkson
Peter Witting
Mark Williams
Medical & Specialist Support
Elite performance requires elite support. William is grateful to the specialists who keep him healthy, moving and improving.
Jae Gruenke, GCFP
Feldenkrais Practitioner & Running Technique Coach
Teenie Cromarty
Massage Therapist — KC Therapies
Holly Elliot
Osteopath — Helping Hands
Heilendi Practice, Balfour Hospital, Kirkwall
Doctor
Statisticians
Meticulous record-keeping is what makes the records real. William’s statisticians verify and document every performance.
Andy Milroy
Sahishnu Szczesiul
Alan Young
Adrian Stott
Sponsors
William is deeply grateful for the support of all his sponsors past and present. Sponsorship has made it possible to take on races that would otherwise be beyond reach.
“So grateful for all of their support.”
— William Sichel
Race Organisers
None of it happens without the people who conceive and run these extraordinary events. William is grateful to every race organiser who has put on the “crazy races” that define ultra distance running.