British-Indian marathon runner nicknamed ‘Turbaned Tornado’ dies at 114
Fauja Singh was widely considered to be the world’s oldest marathon runner. He was hit by a car in India while crossing the road
A British-Indian man aged 114 and widely considered the oldest marathon runner ever has died after being hit by a car while crossing a road in India.
Fauja Singh died in Punjab, according to local reports, which stated that he suffered fatal injuries in the accident at his birth village of Beas Pind.
His death was confirmed by Khushwant Singh, Punjab’s former state information commissioner, who wrote the runner’s biography, The Turbaned Tornado. “My Turbaned Tornado is no more,” he posted on social media.
In an article by The New Indian Express, Singh’s son Harvinder was quoted as saying: “My father was going for a walk when an unidentified vehicle hit him. He suffered head injuries. We immediately rushed him to a private hospital; however, he succumbed to his injuries.”
Singh, who lived in London, was known to have held multiple marathon records across age categories and became renowned only after joining races at the ripe age of 89 in 2000, finishing his first London marathon in six hours and 54 minutes – a record for his age group at the time.
His personal best was at a marathon in Toronto in 2003, which he completed in five hours and 40 minutes, according to Yahoo News.
He would make history again in 2011, also in Toronto, when he was believed to be the first centenarian to run a marathon. Singh, who retired at 101, was a torch-bearer for the London 2012 Olympics.
The uncertainty surrounding Singh’s official status as the oldest marathon runner centred on Guinness World Records being unable to recognise his feat without proof of his birth date. Singh did not possess a birth certificate, as official birth records in India in 1911 were not kept.
His date of birth, however, was indicated as April 1, 1911, on his passport, and he had received a personal letter from Queen Elizabeth on his 100th birthday.
Singh’s running club and charity, Sikhs in the City, said it would hold events celebrating his life and achievements.
In a statement, Harmander Singh, Singh’s coach at the club, said: “Dearest runners. It is with great sadness that we can confirm our icon of humanity and powerhouse of positivity Fauja Singh has passed away in India. Aged 114 years.”
The coach also said efforts were under way to build the “Fauja Singh Clubhouse on the route in Ilford where he used to train”, with the club accepting donations.
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Singh was reportedly born in then British-ruled Punjab to a farming family and moved to the UK in 1992, settling in East London with his son after the death of his wife back home.
In Japan, its oldest marathon runner reportedly completed a full race in January at the age of 96, according to a report by The Asahi newspaper.
Shintaro Okuyama, who started running only at 49, completed the marathon in Ibusuki in Kagoshima prefecture in eight hours, 43 minutes and 46 seconds.
