Sichel set to tackle North Coast 500

Orkney-based ultramarathon runner William Sichel is due to depart for Inverness today, as he prepares to begin his latest brutal challenge.

Setting off from Inverness Castle on Saturday at 7am, Sichel will take in some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery in his bid to set the fastest known time on the North Coast 500 route.

The runner has revealed that he will be attempting to stick to a punishing schedule in order to complete the 518-mile route in under eight days.

The 65-year-old said: “I admit it’s a pretty ambitious schedule, but it’s one I have managed before albeit in different circumstances.

“I’m aiming for between 57 and 70 miles a day, depending on the severity of the terrain.

“I’ll be having a 20-hour day, broken up into three to four-hour run sections, followed by a short break in the campvan. My longest rest will be the four hours at night.”

As far as is known, no one has previously run the North Coast 500 route, although cyclist James McCallum completed the route in 31 hours in 2016.

Sichel added: “I’m the first to admit that this run is entirely out of my comfort zone.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, being far more comfortable running multiple laps in parks or on running tracks.”

William will be wearing a satellite tracking device, so every step can be followed on this website: live.opentracking.co.uk/northcoast500/

Sichel acknowledged his thanks and gratitude to his support crew — Alan Young, Ken Walker, Allan Macaulay and Tim Rainey — who will be supporting him from start to finish.

He will also be using the run to raise funds for CLAN. His fundraising page can be found here