This page has race report posts from any current as well as past races.
24hr Commonweath Campionships – William post-race
September 18, 2009
Tim hasn’t seen William seen the close of the race (he went to get a few hours sleep), but Alan has and tells me that William is in very good shape physically, and delighted with his role in getting the Team Bronze medal for Scotland.
There were some highs and lows during the race, some of which can be gathered from the positions but as ever figures tell little of the story.
For example, Tim was very impressed by the performance of Ben Scott from the Isle of Mann who ran his firs ever 24hr race, coming in 9th with a distance of 216.329 km.
On the flipside, Alexander, McKenzie of New Zealand had to pull out after just over 17km suffering from severe shin-splints (I gather he went into the race nurturing some injuries, so it was a brave attempt regardless.)
Sharon Gater of England ran the race of her life (so far) to win the Women’s race covering 226.489 km, which believe is >20km above her previous PB, and Martin Fryer of Australia turned in a top-notch performance to cover 255.934 km and win the men’s event.
Naturally a few comments of this kind hardly do justice to the efforts of the men and women involved (or their crews, who often get forgotten in the excitement) but from everything I’ve heard the Commonwealth Championships have been a great all-round success, with very fine showing from all f the many nations taking part – which bodes very well for the sport as a whole and the future of Commonwealth Ultra-Running in particular.
I’m glad to have been able to help pass on information throughout the event – the blog has had over 1,500 readers today – probably because we have been the main source of information for the event, and hopefully I’ll be able to do the same again next time- but also hopefully there will be better official coverage next time too!
More as get it (but not so exiting now it is all over)
all the best
Shaun
Personal Training On-Line with William Sichel & Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe
http://williamsichel.wordpress.com/personal-training/
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24hr Commonwealth Race – Team Positions
September 18, 2009
Here are the Team finishing positions:
The places are calculated based on the fastest/furthest 3 runners from the team at 24hrs – so nations with <3 runners could not place in the Team medals regardless of individual performance (e.g. Wales)
Women’s 24 hr Team places
1 – England
2 – Australia (A Team)
3 – Scotland
4 – New Zealand
5 – Canada
6 – Australia (B Team)
24hr Mens Race Team places
1 – Australia (A Team)
2 – England
3 – Scotland
4 – Canada
5 – Australia (B team)
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – Women’s Race
September 18, 2009
Tim’s moved on to ice-cream and between mouthfuls he and Alan have now give me the positions and final distances of all the women in the 24hr race. Another couple of quick updates coming up shortly, Shaun
Women’s 24-Hour Race
| Position | Country | Distance km | Name | Date of Birth |
| 01 | England | 226.489 km | Gayter, Sharon | 30/10/1963 |
| 02 | England | 212.683 km | Skelton, Vicky | 04/11/1967 |
| 03 | Australia | 206.979 km | Harvey Jamieson Susannah | 14/02/1973 |
| 04 | England | 201.631 km | Dorke, Marie | 15/10/1964 |
| 05 | New Zealand | 201.431 km | Muskett, Valerie | 29/06/1954 |
| 06 | Australia | 200.692 km | Quinlan, Meredith | 16/04/1972 |
| 07 | Scotland | 200.183 km | Walker, Pauline | 04/08/1962 |
| 08 | Australia | 195.252 km | Scholz, Sharon | 31/07/1976 |
| 09 | New Zealand | 191.708 km | Cheng, Vivian | 22/07/1978 |
| 10 | Canada | 190.432 km | Vasarhelyi , Charlotte | 07/02/1976 |
| 11 | Scotland | 190.259 km | Kutz Lynn | 14/07/1961 |
| 12 | Australia | 187.625 km | Lilley, Allison | 30/12/1972 |
| 13 | England | 187.119 km | Brown, Sandra | 01/04/1949 |
| 14 | Australia | 184.013 km | Nobbs, Deanne | 08/05/1968 |
| 15 | Canada | 177.475 km | Armstrong, Sue | 27/07/1960 |
| 16 | Isle of Man | 176.315 km | Clague, Bethany | 04/11/1971 |
| 17 | Scotland | 172.820 km | Rennie, Fiona | 04/08/1962 |
| 18 | Canada | 167.228 km | Boisvert ,Sylvie | 06/12/1962 |
| 19 | New Zealand | 161.712 km | Tamati, Lisa | 24/09/1968 |
| 20 | Canada | 124.267 km | Manon, Jacob | 11/11/1963 |
| 21 | Australia | 121.670 km | Bremner, Kerrie | 02/12/1965 |
| retired | England | n.d.g. | Thevenet-Smith, Ramona | 20/12/1959 |
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – The Men’s Positions & Distances
September 18, 2009
Some more news just in, thanks to Tim sitting in a chip-shop and reading this out over the phone while waiting for Alan to buy the chips.
These are the men’s results – the women’s will follow in a short while (when Tim has finished stuffing his face – mind you, after 24hrs of crewing, he deserves it).
As there’s been so much interest – and so little coverage – of the Championships, I’ve posted the positions and final distances of all the runners here (thanks to Tim reading this lot out over the mobile while trying not to drool at the smell of salt and vinegar).
Commonwealth Championships - Men’s 24hr Race
| Position | Country | Name | Distance km | Date of Birth
|
| 01 | Australia | Fryer, Martin | 255.934 km | 10/09/1961 |
| 02 | Australia | Blake, Jo | 248.106 km | 02/08/1965 |
| 03 | Wales | Pares, John | 244.377 km | 27/01/1966 |
| 04 | Scotland | Mason, Steve | 236.942 km | 21/10/1967 |
| 05 | England | Carver, Chris | 231.506 km | 26/02/1964 |
| 06 | England | Rogers, Jim | 228.214 km | 14/06/1964 |
| 07 | Australia | Pearson, John | 224.785 km | 24/01/1972 |
| 08 | Canada | Gilbert, Guy | 217.783 km | 26/01/1962 |
| 09 | Isle of Man | Scott, Ben | 216.329 km | 23/05/1972 |
| 10 | England | Robbins, Pat | 215.818 km | 12/03/1972 |
| 11 | Scotland | Sichel, William | 214.006 km | 01/10/1953 |
| 12 | England | Finill, Chris | 208.330 km | 13/12/1958 |
| 13 | England | Fancett, Ken | 206.742 km | 13/08/1949 |
| 14 | Australia | Lovric, Michael | 203.546 km | 29/12/1967 |
| 15 | Canada | Biondic, George | 189.906 km | 14/08/1952 |
| 16 | Canada | Barteaux, Bruce | 189.000 km | 21/06/1955 |
| 17 | Scotland | Cunningham, Ritchie | 169.936 km | 11/07/1969 |
| 18 | Australia | Mick, Francis | 165.229 km | 18/09/1958 |
| 19 | India | Bhardwaj Arun Kumar | 146.435 km | 24/02/1969 |
| 20 | Australia | Orchard, Scott | 094.520 km | 08/10/1972 |
| 21 | New Zealand | Alexander, McKenzie | 17.094 km | 19/11/1960 |
| — | Kenya | Mitei, Michael | — | 28/09/1981 |
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – Official Results
September 18, 2009
Some further info, this time giving official information – more updates as I get them :
Commonwealth Mountain And Ultra Distance Championships (Keswick): Update One – Team Bronze For Scotland’s 24-Hour Athletes
18th September 2009
Scotland’s men and women won team bronze medals in the opening event of the Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships in Keswick (England) – the 24-Hour race – which started yesterday and ended at midday today (Thursday 17th-Friday 18th September).
Steve Mason (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers) was the first Scottish athlete home in fourth place overall, with approximately 235 laps (one lap = just over one kilometre).
Orkney’s William Sichel followed in 11th place with 211 laps, with Carnegie’s Ritchie Cunningham in 17th with 169 laps.
The race was won by Australia’s Martin Fryer – also leading the Australian team to gold – in a new Commonwealth Games Road Record in excess of 254 laps.
England’s men won team silver, but the women went one better, securing team gold ahead of Australia, with Scotland – a trio of Carnegie Harriers athletes – finishing third.
Pauline Walker was top Scot in sixth, achieving the benchmark distance of just over 200km, with Lynne Kuz (188 laps) and Fiona Rennie (171 laps) following in 11th and 17th respectively.
Sharon Gater (England) was the overall winner in a new lifetime best in excess of 220 laps.
The uphill-only races take place later today (Friday 18th September), with the 100km and uphill/downhill races following on Saturday (19th) and Sunday (20th) respectively.
- Still no really firm details of exact distances, these will follow as I get them
Shaun
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24hr Race – The End & (some) Results
September 18, 2009
Hi All,
Apologies for the delay in posting, I held on for a couple more hours hoping for further info before deciding I really needed to get some sleep. While taking my 40 winks Tim phoned (just before falling asleep himself…) but while he left a message he wasn’t able to give as much data as we’d all have liked (I think the official end-results simply hadn’t been released) – but here’s the little I know at this point. all of this is subject to official confirmation later.
William :
William finished in 10th place, close to his pre-race target.
He managed to move up his position a couple of places in the closing hours and seems to have finished strongly, having run the race with no “bad patches” (which in one sense will make this his most successful 24hr in recent years; nice to know the nutrition and pacing strategies have worked). As many readers will know, William’s main strength is in multiday races, especially the 6-day race, and he’s been dogged by problems (mainly GI related) in recent years over “short” distances like the 24hr race. Nice to see that this appears to be a thing of the past.
Looking at the hand-written notes I’ve got (taken by Kate during my power-snooze) it would appear William managed >150 miles, but I’m waiting on a final confirmation of his total.
Women’s 24hr Race
The Women’s 24hr race was won by Sharon Gayter (England) – but I’m afraid I don’t have a distance, nor do I have a list of other places at this point. However, whatever Sharon’s final distance turns out to be, it is going to be a new PB for her.
I’m afraid I also don’t know the Women’s team finishing positions – from what I can gather, at the time of Tim’s last message most of these details hadn’t been released/confirmed so simply were not available.
Men’s Team Positions
All I know for sure from my message is that the Men’s team positions didn’t change, this means the Team medal position will be :
Men’s 24 hr Race
1st – Australia – Gold
2nd -England – Silver
3rd – Scotland - Bronze
I’m afraid that’s all I have at present – as and when I hear more I’ll post it, but this is likely to depend when William and or Tim wake up (it may come as a surprise to some people but running/crewing on a 24hr race means being awake and on the go for a good deal longer than 24hrs e.g. getting to the race, pre-race preps, post-race collection of kit (and possibly bits of runner) and so on) – with any luck they’ll be having a well earned rest at present, but I’ll pass on anything I get as soon as I can.
Thanks for all the support shown by visitors to the blog, both for William personally and for the event as a whole.
I hope you’ll all be back for future races e.g. William’s first 1000-miler next year.
More anon,
All the best,
Shaun
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – 10mins to go…
September 18, 2009
As I type there are only 10 mins to go until the close of the race
No more updates at this time – a shame for those following the blog but not surprising as Tim will be working very hard crewing at present.
A final position update & results should follow soon but please remember that while the race may stop, the work goes on behind the scenes (e.g. getting the athlete something warm to wear and finding somewhere to sit down etc!), so bear with us if this takes a short while, but I’ll give as full an update as possible as soon as I can (before I go and get some sleep myself as I’ve been at this for 24hrs now – still, not as tiring as running!).
More shortly,
All the best
Shaun
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24hr Race – Latest bits of news
September 18, 2009
Not a lot more news yet other than that the sun is well and truly up in Keswick – and in Orkney for that matter – (always good news in an ultra – the cold hours before dawn really are the worst for runner and crew alike) and William is currently feeling good and running well.
At present it looks like the Scottish men’s team will get the Bronze team medal, and the Scottish women’s team just may still be in with a chance (but the data on that isn’t clear – at least to to me at present! ).
William is evidently feeling fairly fresh and from what I gather he is intending to move up the field a little before the end (bear in mind that the 24hr is his weakest event so he’s basically just looking to make as good a showing as possible and to do his bit for his country).
We now have only a little over 2hrs to go until the close of the race. I will contine to update the blog as soon as I get any more information – but bear in mind that the closing stages of a race are generally the most demanding on both the runner and the crew, so Tim will be busy looking after William’s needs at this point and may not have much time to talk on the phone – but any news I get will appear here ASAP, including the end-of-race results.
All the best,
Shaun
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24hr Race Commonwealth Championships – Current Team Positions
September 18, 2009
At present at around 21hrs into the 24hr race (and unless things change a fair bit it will probably stay this way) the Team positions are as follows :
Men’s 24 hr Race
1st – Australia – Gold
2nd -England – Silver
3rd – Scotland - Bronze
Women’s 24 hr Race
The women’s team positions seem to be harder to call; England are looking very strong at present but the other Team positions are less clear – remember that it is the average distance covered by the top 3 members of the team that counts – so from the little I can gather Australia, Scotland, New Zealand and Canada mayall still be in the running (if you’ll pardon the expression) for medal positions.
More coming up,
Shaun
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – Current Race positions (Women)
September 18, 2009
Again at around 20hrs and 45mins (roughly) here’s about as much information as I have been able to get so far:
Women’s 24hr Race (at 13hrs 40 mins)
#1 –Sharon Gayter (England) 199 laps
I don’t have lap counts for the other women but teir positions are as follows :
#2 – Vicky Skelton (England)
#3 – Susannah Harvey-Jamieson (Australia)
#4 - Meredith Quinlan (Australia)l
#5 - Marie Dorke (England)
(missing #6-7)
#8 – Pauline Walker (Scotland)
Scottish Women Runners :
Pauline Walker is in 8th place
Lynn Kutz is 11th
Fiona Rennie is 15th
*This is out of a field of 22 women starters
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – Current Race positions (Men)
September 18, 2009
Hi again,
At around 20hrs and 45mins (roughly) here’s about as much information as I have been able to get so far:
The Men’s 24hr leader positions (at 20 hrs 40 mins) are as follows
#1 Martin Fryer (Australia) with 221 laps
Sorry, I don’t have lap counts for the other runners but here are their current positions
#2 Jo Blake (Australia)
#3 John Parres (Wales)
#4 Steve Mason (Scotland)
#5 Chris Carver (England)
(I’m missing the details for #6-9)
# 10 Chris Finill (England)
The Scottish Male Runners :
Steve Mason (Scotland) in 6th place
William Sichel (Scotland) in 12th place with 184 laps
Richie Cunningham (Scotland) in 15th
William is currently runing strongly and expects to move his position up a little in the closing hours.
More coming very shortly,
Shaun
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24hr Commonwealth Championships Race – 20hrs 34mins update
September 18, 2009
A very very quick phone call to Tim (cut short as William was passing and calling out for ginger beer – honestly) gives a quick take on his current position :
William has run 184 laps in 20hrs 34mins and is currently in 12th place
More very shortly as Tim is phoning me back ASAP
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24hr Commonwealth Race – More updates on their way ASAP
September 18, 2009
While slaving over a hot computer keyboard, here at William’s Blog I’ve been getting several requests (from the UK and Australia) for more information on the runners & current positions.
All I can say at his stage is that I’ll do my best to give as wide an update as possible until the close of the race (I had been intending to grab a few hours sleep but I’ll hang on until the end as there doesn’t seem to be any other source of information available at present).
The last I heard the race computer system was still down, so other than a report on William from his crewman Tim (when I next get it), I can’t promise anything, but keep your fingers crossed and your eyes on the blog and I’ll post what I can.
More soon,
Shaun
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24hr Race – Running on Honey
September 18, 2009
It’s now 4am and the one bit of news I can pass on (no figures at present) is that William is still running well, topping up his calories with honey (and the occasional hot chocolate) and plodding on through the long dark night of the sole (and toe and heel).
It’s always a boost for any 24hr runner when the sun comes up, so with any luck the dawn shouldn’t be too far away now.
More as I get it,
Shaun
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24hr Commonwealth Race – problems with technology….
September 18, 2009
At 3.51am 18th September, the latest from Tim (tired but still on his feet) is that there may be a delay in further updates for a short while.
It seems there’s a problem with the computer monitoring the race – and the clock had shot forward to show only 1 minute left to run (!) – but it has now started counting again…. only this time it is counting backwards !!!
(yes, backwards, and no, I’m not joking)
- so the laps shown are going down every time a runner passes the post….!
Rest assured that the offical times and distances are still being recorded (the old fashioned way) and the system should be up and running again soon (fingers crossed) – but in the meantime the (human) lap-counters are scowling at anyone (like Tim) coming their way in the hope of finding out any facts and figures.
More as I get it,
Shaun
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24hr Commonweath Championships – after 8hrs…
September 17, 2009
Here’s the latest on the field (from a busy Tim in Keswick)
Please note :- in “rough” terms. 1 lap = 1km - however the actual circuit is 1.something km and so the final / exact figures are going to be more (in km) than shown here (e.g. 1.1km per lap x 100 laps would equal 110km not 100km).
You’ll notice that several runners are on the same numnber of laps but have higher/lower race positions – this is because while they are running the same lap, one is slightly in front of the other (but not more than 1km ahead/behind -possibly a lot less!).
The Men’s 24hr leader positions (at 8hrs) are as follows
#1 Jo Blake (Australia) –currently on 95 laps
#2 Martin Fryer (Australia) – 91 laps
#3 John Pares (Wales) – 88 laps
#4 Chris Finill (England) -88 laps
#5 Chris Carver (England) – 86 laps
#6 Steve Mason (Scotland) – 85 laps
The Scottish Male Runners :
Steve Mason (Scotland) -6th with 85 laps
William Sichel (Scotland) = 15th with 82 laps
Richie Cunningham (Scotland) =15th with 82 laps
* This is out of a field of 21 male starters
Women’s 24hr Race (at 8hrs)
#1 – Vicky Skelton (England) with 83 laps
#2 – Susannah Harvey-Jamieson (Australia) with 83 laps
#3 – Sharon Gayter (England) with 83 laps
#4 – Kerrie Bremner (Australia) 82 laps
#5 – Pauline Walker (Scotland) 82 laps
Scottish Women Runners :
Pauline Walker 5th with 82 laps
Lynn Kutz in 7th with 80 laps
Fiona Rennie 15th with 73 laps
* This is out of a field of 22 women starters
More shortly
Shaun
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Commonwealth Championships 24hr Race – Why Keswick?
September 17, 2009
For those wondering how the venue came to be chosen, this peice gives some background :
New Commonwealth Championship event for
Ultradistance and Mountain Running held in Keswick
Mountain running returning to its spiritual home in Cumbria.
The world’s first organised fell race took place in Grasmere, Cumbria, in 1850. And almost 160 years later between Thursday, September 17th and Sunday, September 20th, 2009, the first Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships take place in Keswick, Cumbria.
The tradition of fell running, developed especially in Britain and Italy involves starting in a mountain village or town, running to the top of the mountain and returning to the start.
The Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships will include races in this discipline and in the Alpine discipline which involves running to an uphill-point only. Races will start from Fitz Park in the centre of Keswick and ascend the slopes of Latrigg and Skiddaw, the hills overlooking the town.
Over 120 athletes are competing in the championships from the following nations: New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Malawi, India, Gibraltar, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zambia and the Isle of Man.
There will also be two ultra distance races during the Championships; a 100k road race and a 24-hour race. The 24-hour race starts at midday on 17th September and takes place entirely within Fitz Park, with runners completing laps of a 1km course around the park. Runners will continue through the night and the following morning, with the finish at midday on Friday, September 18th.
The International Association of Ultra Runners (IAU) and the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) proposed to stage a joint Commonwealth Championships for ultra distance and mountain running. It was accepted by the Commonwealth Games Federation and was decided that the first such event would take place in Keswick.”
Read the article in full here : http://www.nwda.co.uk/news–events/press-releases/200901/new-commonwealth-championship.aspx
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24hr Commonwealth Championships – the current leading Scottish male
September 17, 2009
The current highest placed Scottish Male in the Commonwealth Games 24hr race
Steve is in the #5 spot at present
Stephen Mason
(info from : http://www.cumbriacommonwealthchampionships.org/contribute-files/Mason.htm)
Stephen has run in the Anglo-Celtic Run. His future goal is to build on the success he has had in the Scottish 24 hr trial in 2008 where he achieved a distance of 140 mile. He is also looking forward to be selected for the National Team to run at the worlds.
Views on the Commonwealth Championships…
Nadeem Khan (NK): What are your thoughts on running in the Commonwealth Series?
Stephen Mason (SM): Excited but nervous, In my heart I know I can put in a good performance and I do not want to let the team down but also realize that so much can go wrong in a 24hr race.
NK: How will this race be different from your other international races?
SM: Only ever competed in the Anglo-Celtic 100Km so competing at this level will be new experience.
NK: The thing you are most looking forward to at the Championships…
SM: The chance to meet and compete against some world class athletes but also watching in awe the technical skill of the hill runners coming down the hill at high speed with no fear. Get to know Stephen…
NK: Most memorable athletic moment…
SM: Watching a team colleague run a 110m Hurdles while carrying his spikes in his hand
NK: What is your typical training week?
SM: Try to aim for around 80 to 90 miles a week running to and from work accounts for a lot of this. I also do a number some sessions on the excise bike. Found any more than this was detrimental to my running.
NK: If you were not a runner, you would be… S
M: Fat given the amount of food I eat!
NK: Your biggest supporter in your running career…
SM: Definitely Jane my wife for putting up with my smelly running shoes.
NK: Who is your first call after a major race?
SM: Jane.
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24hr Commonweath Championship – The current #1 Woman
September 17, 2009
Some info on one of Scotland’s other runners :
Pauline Walker
Currently in the #1 Women’s 24hr race position
(from http://www.cumbriacommonwealthchampionships.org/contribute-files/Walker.htm)
Pauline has represented Great Britain on two occasions at European and World Championships.
She has a habit of break records (and holding them!). She is the Scottish record holder for 100 miles (17:12:22), 200 km (22:48:28) and 24 hrs (209.77 km). She has completed the West Highland Way Race six times with a personal best of 22:01:42.
Pauline’s future goals include completing her pair of Comrades Marathon by attempting the ‘down’ portion in 2011 having already completed the ‘up’ segment. She is also looking forward to doing a 48 hr race in the near future.
Views on the Commonwealth Championships…
Nadeem Khan (NK): What are your thoughts on running in the Commonwealth Series?
Pauline Walker (PW): I’m really looking forward to running in Keswick, it will be great experience to cherish in my memory for the rest of my life!
NK: How will this race be different from your other international races?
PW: My preparation will be similar to previous races but I think there could be quite a competitive battle between England (the “auld enemy”) and Scotland!
NK: The thing you are most looking forward to at the Championships…
PW: As the 24 hour event will be the first event in the Championships I can then relax and support my Scottish teammates in the following events over the weekend.
Get to know Pauline…
NK: Most memorable athletic moment…
PW: Breaking the Scottish 24 hour record wearing a GB vest in Verona, Italy in 2006
NK: What is your typical training week?
PW: Monday: Spinning Class followed by a Body Balance Class.
Tuesday: Yoga at lunchtime, Speedwork at the running club, 20 mins in Gym working with free weights.
Wednesday: An easy day, as a Jog Leader for JogScotland I would probably do 3-4 miles with my group, or intervals or hill reps suitable for beginners.
Thursday: Speedwork at the running club or a timed 10 miler, 20 mins in Gym working with free weights.
Friday: Long slow run somewhere between 18-24 miles.
Saturday: Swim 90 lengths, another long slow run somewhere between 18-24 miles.
Sunday: Non-impact day, perhaps a massage, yoga or some work in the Gym.
NK: If you were not a runner, you would be…
PW: FAT!!
NK: Your biggest supporter in your running career…
PW: My twin sister Fiona, she runs too and in a practical sense she totally understands what I’m experiencing and knows what I need before even I do! She is also a great motivator and gives me the right encouragement exactly when I need it.
NK: Who is your first call after a major race?
PW: My husband Tim.
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Keswick 24hr info @ 6hrs into the race
September 17, 2009
Hi all,
The latest info from Tim (before he had to dash off and give Wiliam a drink!)
William is maintaining a steady 10kmh (using a run/walk split) and currently has covered 61km after a tad over 6hrs. William is presently in 13th place in the men’s race – Richie Cunningam (Scotland) is 1 lap ahead of William, and Steve Mason (Scotland) is 5 laps ahead of William. William is currently running to plan and looking good.
The Men’s 24hr leader positions (at 6hrs) are as follows
#1 Jo Blake (Australia)
#2 Martin Fryer (Australia)
#3 John Pares (Wales)
#4 Chris Finill (England)
#5 Steve Mason (Scotand)
(sorry, I don’t have the # 6-11 postions)
#12 – Richie Cunningham (Scotland)
#13 – William Sichel (Scotland – or more specifically, Orkney!)
This is out of a field of 21 male starters
Women’s 24hr Race (at 6hrs)
#1 – Pauline Walker (Scotand)
#2 – Susannah Harvey-Jamieson (Australia)
#3 – Vicky Skelton (England)
#4 – Sharon Gayter (England)
#5 – Lynn Kutz (Scotland)
This is out of a field of 22 women starters
More as I get it – All the best,
Shaun
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Commonwealth Championships 24hr Race – The British Teams
September 17, 2009
I’ve had a request for more information on the other British competitors running in the 24hr race (as it seems this blog is currently the only online source of “live” in-race information for the commonwealth games event!). In case my reply in the comments section is missed, I’ll just point out that am perfectly happy to give as much information as possible. not only on William’s progress, or that of the Scottish team, or the UK teams as a whole, but also the performance of any competititor / team / nation – BUT – I am currently dependent on information gathered during brief and hurried mobile phone conversations’s with Tim (who is trackside, crewing for William), plus occasional emailed photos from Alan (who’s busy with the whole Scottish team).
So, in short I’ll do my best but I can’t promise anything!
That said, you should at least get to read who is/are the current race leader(s) and so on if you keep tuned to this page.
more as I get it,
All the best
Shaun
Personal Training On-Line with William Sichel & Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe
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A close up…
September 17, 2009
William earlier today – a closer view
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Keswick – William on the run…
September 17, 2009
(photo from Alan Young in Keswick)
And amid the scenary, some people are sweating…
- Below : William, earlier today
All the best,
Shaun
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Scottish Commonwealth Championships 24hr Team
September 17, 2009
A photo of the scottish 24hr team earlier today (from Alan Young)
(William is the one with the white hat in the middle-left)
More shortly,
Shaun
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Keswick 24hr – the full list of competitors
September 17, 2009
After a short break and a switch of broswers (for some reason the usually very reliable Fireox woudn’t load pages from this blog so I’m currently using Chrome), here’s 9to the bes of my knowledge) a full list of all the competitors in the Commonweath Games 24hr race(s)
Men’s 24-Hour Race Competitors
| Country | Name | Date of Birth |
| New Zealand | Alexander, McKenzie | 19/11/1960 |
| Australia | Fryer, Martin | 10/09/1961 |
| Australia | Mick, Francis | 18/09/1958 |
| Australia | Blake, Jo | 02/08/1965 |
| Australia | Pearson, John | 24/01/1972 |
| Australia | Lovric, Michael | 29/12/1967 |
| Australia | Orchard, Scott | 08/10/1972 |
| Canada | Gilbert, Guy | 26/01/1962 |
| Canada | Barteaux, Bruce | 21/06/1955 |
| Canada | Biondic, George | 14/08/1952 |
| Scotland | Cunningham, Ritchie | 11/07/1969 |
| Scotland | Mason, Steve | 21/10/1967 |
| Scotland | Sichel, William | 01/10/1953 |
| Isle of Man | Scott, Ben | 23/05/1972 |
| England | Finill, Chris | 13/12/1958 |
| England | Rogers, Jim | 14/06/1964 |
| England | Carver, Chris | 26/02/1964 |
| England | Fancett, Ken | 13/08/1949 |
| England | Robbins, Pat | 12/03/1972 |
| Wales | Pares, John | 27/01/1966 |
| India | Bhardwaj Arun Kumar | 24/02/1969 |
| Kenya | Mitei, Michael | 28/09/1981 |
Women’s 24-Hour Race Competitors
| Country | Name | Date of Birth |
| New Zealand | Tamati, Lisa | 24/09/1968 |
| New Zealand | Muskett, Valerie | 29/06/1954 |
| New Zealand | Cheng, Vivian | 22/07/1978 |
| Australia | Nobbs, Deanne | 08/05/1968 |
| Australia | Lilley, Allison | 30/12/1972 |
| Australia | Scholz, Sharon | 31/07/1976 |
| Australia | Quinlan, Meredith | 16/04/1972 |
| Australia | Harvey Jamieson Susannah | 14/02/1973 |
| Australia | Bremner, Kerrie | 02/12/1965 |
| Canada | Boisvert ,Sylvie | 06/12/1962 |
| Canada | Armstrong, Sue | 27/07/1960 |
| Canada | Vasarhelyi , Charlotte | 07/02/1976 |
| Canada | Manon, Jacob | 11/11/1963 |
| Scotland | Kutz Lynn | 14/07/1961 |
| Scotland | Rennie, Fiona | 04/08/1962 |
| Scotland | Walker, Pauline | 04/08/1962 |
| Isle of Man | Clague, Bethany | 04/11/1971 |
| England | Gayter, Sharon | 30/10/1963 |
| England | Brown, Sandra | 01/04/1949 |
| England | Skelton, Vicky | 04/11/1967 |
| England | Dorke, Marie | 15/10/1964 |
| England | Thevenet-Smith, Ramona | 20/12/1959 |
More shortly,
Shaun
Commonwealth Championships – 3hrs into the 24hr race
September 17, 2009
The latest from Keswick (thanks to Tim and Adrian) :-
At 3hrs into the race William has currently run 31km. This is very much according to plan – William is deliberately keeping his pace fairly “slow”, especially during the early stages, and is using a run/walk split strategy. So far William is very much running to plan and is on schedule with his pre-race aims.
Weather conditions are good, it is currently 18 degrees centigrade with a cooling breeze but little actual wind (and no rain!).
The men’s race is currently being led by Joe Blake (I believe running for Australia ) who has covered 39km after the first 3 hrs- in context, that’s a long way in this period which may not bode well for his overall performance (as this pace probably can’t be maintained for the whole 24hrs).
The Scottish team distances are as follows :
MEN
William Sichel – 31km
Steven Mason – 33km
Richie Cunningham – 33km
WOMEN
Pauline Walker – 33km
Lyn Kuz – 33km
Fiona Rennie – 30km
more soon – Shaun
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Keswick Commonwealth Championships Time-Table
September 17, 2009
For the benefit of anyone either following on-line or in mainland UK and thinking of visiting the Games, here’s a time-table
Timetable
Thursday 17 September
9:30am start of the Opening Ceremony at Theater-by-the-Lake
12 noon start of the Commonwealth Championship 24 hour race (Men and Women) around the Fitz Park course
Friday 18 September
12 noon — finish of the Commonwealth Championship 24 hour race
1:30pm — start of the Commonwealth Championship Women’s 8km uphill-only Mountain Race
2:00pm — start of the Commonwealth Championship Men’s 12km uphill-only Mountain Race
Saturday 19 September
8:00am — start of the Commonwealth Championship 100K Road Race (Men and Women)
10:00am — 2.5K race for boys & girls 9 & 10 years old
10:45 am — 3K race for boys & girls 11 & 12 years old
11:30 am — 5K race for boys & girls 13 & 14 years old
11:30 am — 5K race for boys & girls 15 & 16 years old 12 noon
12:30 pm — Open 10K race – men & women over 17 years old
3:30 pm — Finish of Commonwealth Championship 100km
Sunday 20 September
10:00 am — 3K race for boys & girls 10 & 11 years old
10:05 am — 4.8K race for boys & girls 12 & 13 years old
10:10 am — 6.4K race for boys & girls 14 & 15 years old
11:00 am — 12K – 3 lap course – Senior Men & Women Open Mountain Race
11:00 am — 8K – 2 lap course – Junior’s aged 16 &17
12:30 pm — Start of Commonwealth Championship Women’s 8km up and down Mountain Race
1:30 pm — Start of Commonwealth Championship Men’s 12km up and down Mountain Race
4:00 pm — Presentation of Medals for all events at Marquee located on Fitz Park
5:00 pm — Speakers celebration party
Monday 21 September
Departure of athletes and Management Officials VIPS, IAU and WMRA Council Members
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Posted by Shaun
Keswick – 24hr page
September 17, 2009
There’s a nice simple into to the 24hr race, featuring a photo of William, on the race’s website, the gist of which reads :
24 Hour Race
Ultra-distance running really took off with the marathon boom in the 1980’s, with 24-hour races soon developing to provide an endurance challenge to those extraordinary athletes for whom 26 miles (42.2 km) just wasn’t far enough.
For the last two decades the sport has been governed by the International Association of Ultra Runners, which currently has 47 national federations affiliated. The IAU has held international competitions since 1987, however the 24-hour event has only been held annually since 2001 – in the European 24-hour Championship there have so far been 7 Commonwealth medalists.
The 24-hour race starts at midday on Thursday 17 September and takes place entirely within Fitz Park, with runners completing laps of a 1km course around the park. Runners will continue through the night and the following morning, with the finish at midday on Friday. Incredibly, the winner will probably have completed the equivalent of seven marathons in a single day.
The original page can be found here :
http://www.cumbriacommonwealthchampionships.org/24hour-race.htm
All the best,
Shaun
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Keswick – the early stages
September 17, 2009
(info provided by Tim Rainey at the race)
Currently William has run 11 laps. We have fine, dry weather with sunny intervals and very little wind. The race has a nice circuit (see previous post for a map) which is just about completely flat, featuring a 1km loop in the park.
Scottish Race distances thus far
MEN
William Sichel – 11 laps (=11km)
Steven Mason – 11 laps (=11km)
Richie Cunningham- 11 laps (=11km)
WOMEN
Pauline Walker – 11 laps (=11km)
Lyn Kuz – 11 laps (=11km)
Fiona Rennie – 10 laps (=10km)
More shortly,
Shaun
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Keswick 24hr Commonwealth Games race – the Course
September 17, 2009
Keswick 24hr Commonwealth Games race – the Course
For those of you who are interested – or maybe even thinking of going along – here’s the course in Keswick
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…and they’re off! Commonwealth Games 24hr race
September 17, 2009
The 24hr Commonwealth Games Championship is now under way in Keswick.
Updates on the race throughout the 24hrs will appear here, thanks in part to Tim (who is crewing for William this time) – Tim will be phoning me to give updates & I’ll type them up here, with commentary (sans any “sick parrots” or over the moons”).
More coming up shortly
-
Shaun
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Hull 24 – THE END of the Race
July 12, 2009
Hi All,
The race is now over – and William came in as the #1 male competitor (#2 over-all).
This represents a very good performance for William, as the 24hr has been a “problem” distance for him, prefering mult-day races.
The exact final distance will follow but I have the approximate figures here (the chart below shows the distance on the final full lap but there is a partial lap’s distance to add on) :
More race details and a breakdown will follow a little later but for now, the race is over and congratulations to William – and the crew (who will have been working very hard behind the scenes). Time for some food and rest for everyone.
More anon,
Shaun
Hull 24 hr – One Hour to Go! – details at 23 hours
July 12, 2009
The details for William up to the penultimate hour of the race
Alan writes that William is “Still first man”…
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr – details at 22 hours…
July 12, 2009
The details up to 22 hours :
Alan tells me
“ (William is) now leading man and second overall.
Very hard night of rain took it toll on many runners.
William stuck to his plan well, and battled through the rain.
Very tired but working so hard to be first man.”
Shaun
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Hull 24hrs – details at 21 hours…
July 12, 2009
The latest :
More shortly,
Shaun
Hull 24 hr – William’s Pace (the first 12 hours)….
July 12, 2009
Here is a detailed breakdown of William’s pace throughout the first 12 hours of the race :
William’s Pace
1st (roughly) 4hr period
Time : 04:05:42
Average Pace: 05:43 min/km
Best Pace: 03:28 min/km
Distance : 42.92 km
2nd (roughly) 4hr period
Time: 04:07:25
Average Pace: 06:27 min/km
Best Pace: 03:55 min/km
Distance: 38.29 km
3rd (roughly) 4hr period
Time: 04:13:47
Average Pace: 07:39 min/km
Best Pace: 04:13 min/km
Distance: 33.16 km
Those of you who can follow the above graphs and data will see that while William’s pace has fallen a little as the race has progressed (somewhat unsurprising after 12+hrs of running) he is still keeping good time and running very steadily at a rate that (hopefully) will allow him to maintain a good average pace even into the last few hours of the race.
More as I get it -
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr Race – William’s Cadence (the 1st 12 hrs)…
July 12, 2009
Here’s a detailed breakdown of William’s cadence (strides per minute) during the first 12 hours of the race.
Note – 1 “stride” = 2 “steps” / “foot-falls”
(This probably won’t mean much unless you have a serious interest in running)
William’s Cadence
SPM = Strides Per Minute
Note : As William is using a run/walk strategy in this race the average cadence reflects periods both of running and walking, while the max. cadence is the fastest cadence William has employed while running.
1st (roughly) 4hr period
Average Cadence: 80 spm
Max Run Cadence: 95 spm
2nd (roughly) 4hr period
Average Cadence: 85 spm
Max Run Cadence: 125 spm
3rd (roughly) 4hr period
Average Cadence: 80 spm
Max Run Cadence: 95 spm
Those of you who can follow the graphs and data above will realise that William has been keeping a very good and steady cadence throughout the first 12 hours and following the planned run/walk strategy very well thus far. Depending upon how william is feeling during the later stages the periodisation of the runs and walks may change.
More to come shortly including a detailed breakdown of William’s race pace in the first 12 hours.
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr – hrs 8-12 in more detail…
July 12, 2009
Data from William’s “Garmin” for the 3rd (roughly) 4hr period is as follows :
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr – William’s distances in the first 14hrs
July 12, 2009
Here’s William’s distance up to the 14hr mark :
More soon,
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr – Current Race Position.
July 11, 2009
As I type, William is currently in 4th position.
Alan tells me it has been very warm today (which generally suits William fine).
Currently everything seems to be looking promising – more as I have it.
Shaun
24hr Race – More data from the 8hr Mark
July 11, 2009
The latest data uploaded from William’s “Garmin” shows that at (approx) 8hrs William has run a further 38.29 km / 23.8 miles.
The actual figures are :
added to his earlier total (at the 4hr mark, 42.92 km / 26.6692 miles) this gives a total running time during the race (so far) of 8hrs and 13mins and at current distance of 81.21km / just under 50 and-a-half miles.
Looking good so far – finger’s crossed for the rest of the race!
More as shortly -
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hrs – One Third of the Way…
July 11, 2009
At 8 hrs into the race…
William has so far run 76.8km / approx 47 and three-quarter miles
More shortly,
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr Race – 7hrs into the race
July 11, 2009
Latest news at the 7hr mark :
By hour 7 William had run 67.9 km / just over 41 miles
More shortly,
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr Race – One-Quarter of the way there…
July 11, 2009
We now have some more detailed information, courtesy of Alan who has been slaving over a hot laptop.
These are William’s distances for the first 6hrs of the 24hr race :
At 1 hr William had covered 11.5km / around 7.16 miles
At 2hrs he had run 19.6km / just under 12-and-a-quarter miles.
By 3hrs William had covered 30.7km / a shade over 19 miles.
At 4hrs he had run 42.1km / 26.1597 miles – which is basically a Marathon.
By the 5hr mark William had covered 49.8km / just under 31 miles
And at the 6hr point William has now covered 59.5km / or just a fraction under 37m.
More news as it arrives –
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr – After 4hrs…
July 11, 2009
After 04[hrs]:05[mins]:42[secs] William had covered 42.92 km / 26.6692 miles.
At present I don’t have data on William’s race position, but the distance figures look good at this point.
For those interested, William will have probably burnt-off around 3000+ calories during the race so far (as a rough guide, 3500 calories = 1lb of bodyweight).
More as I have it,
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24hr – And they’re off…
July 11, 2009
The 24hr race is now under way (finish time 10.00 am Sunday 12th July 2009).
Do not be at all surprised if William is nowhere near the front of the runners in the first hours of the race – he will be keeping his pace steady and using a run/walk strategy from the very beginning.
The majority of 24hr runners tend to run more or less “as far and as fast” as possible in the early stages and then reduce their pace when they cannot keep up their speed, often completing the event by walking with little or no running in the later stages.
In this race, the intention will be for William to run / walk throughout - aiming to keep more or less the same speed and pace throughout the whole 24hrs. In training this has been working very well, but of course race conditions are what really matters.
Updates on William’s progress will appear here as soon as I have them.
All the best,
Shaun
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24-Hour Race – Countdown
July 10, 2009
10am July 11th 2009 is the official start for William’s latest 24hr race, this time in Hull.
William will be using this race as a preparation and testing ground for his appearance in the Commonwealth Games 24hr race in September this year.
More specifically, during the event William will be race-testing a new run/walk split strategy as well as a heavily revised nutritional programme. Things have been going very well in training, but as ever the real test comes during a race.
As far as the updates here on the Blog are concerned, hopefully we should have regular emails coming through with race totals from Alan (who is crewing for William in Hull), as well as (fingers crossed) race data uploaded from William’s Garmin during the event itself. If the technology is up to it, this should mean very accurate information throughout the 24hr period.
I’ll keep posting updates as regularly as possible and as always please feel free to leave comments or messages of support for William.
All the best,
Shaun (William’s Training Advisor)
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Posted by williamsichel
Hull 24 Hour Track Race
July 8, 2009
Race starts 10am Saturday July 11th and finishes 10am on Sunday July 12th.
Race updates will appear here during the event.
Thanks to Alan Young and Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe for this.
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Posted by williamsichel
