“Physiologically, you only need one testes for hormone production,” he said “The other one is for insurance There is no great difference between having one or two. “I knew William was a remarkable character, because so many people had told me about him,” she said. “But I didn’t know he’d suffered from cancer.”Sichel, in fact, had a malignant testicle removed in July 1997. He just got on with things.”As Sichel took another lap in his stride, dodging cyclists, students and staff cars, precisely how self-effacing a chap he happens to be was confirmed by Emma Staniland, the Leicester student who organised the English half of the race. When his testicular cancer was diagnosed he never saw it as a problem.

From 3pm on Wednesday to 3pm on Thursday, though, he was acting as Sichel’s “handler”, as ultra runners call their essential helper – furnishing him with drinks and food (bananas and energy bars), keeping him company for several laps, keeping him informed of his progress and generally keeping his spirits in as upward a state as possible.They first met when Sichel bought a pair of shoes at Run and Become, an Edinburgh sports shop where Stott works as manager “William’s a wonderful character,” Stott said “He’s so self-effacing He takes everything in his stride. “He’s in the lead!” Sichel was not only in the lead but running away from the opposition “He’s 6km ahead,” Adrian Stott said. “But I’ll tell him it’s 3km – just so he doesn’t slacken off too much.”Stott knows all about the psychology of ultra running Two months ago he won the AAA 24-hour title. The two races, 6,000 miles and an ocean apart, merged into one on the internet.Hourly updates on the distances covered were exchanged via the sports department computer at Leicester. At the 22-hour point Kath Newberry, one of the student helpers, came rushing down the Charles Wilson steps with the latest news “He’s in the lead!” she screamed excitedly. At the same time as Sichel was lapping up the ground in Leicester, 47 rivals were circling a 235m indoor track in Waterloo, near Toronto.

The Canadians had set off at 10am their time on Wednesday – precisely the same time as Sichel’s 3pm start in England. Some nimble footwork was required to keep my companion on course for a place in the ultra- distance running record books.The Leicester University World Aids Day 24-hour run was, indeed, no normal race It was one half of the world’s first cyber race. And by the time the trio departed, a few pounds lighter before their lunchtime meal, the short- striding Sichel was back within sight again. The next lap being the one in every six on which he slows to a brisk walk, First Night’s man on the spot joined the durable Scot on one of his 617m circuits.”It’s been tough,” he said “Tougher than I imagined. It was cold and windy in the night and for a long period I was running on my own.