Fauja Singh, often called the “Turbaned Tornado,” lived an extraordinary life. The world knew him as a marathon runner who defied age. Sadly, his remarkable journey ended suddenly on Monday. At 114 years old, Mr. Singh died after being hit by a vehicle. The accident happened as he crossed a road in Beas Pind, his quiet hometown in India’s Punjab state.
His biographer, Khushwant Singh, shared the sad news online. “My Turbaned Tornado is no more,” he wrote. “He was struck by an unknown vehicle in his village while crossing a road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja.” It’s a somber end for a man who spent decades pushing his physical limits.
Mr. Singh, a British citizen of Indian heritage, found his passion for running later in life. He moved to Ilford, England, in the early 1990s. Then, in August 1994, a great sadness hit him when his fifth son, Kuldeep, passed away. Running marathons became his way to cope with the deep grief.
His fame grew in the year 2000. That’s when, at 89 years old, he finished the London Marathon. He completed the race in 6 hours and 54 minutes. This time crushed the previous world record for runners over 90 by a whopping 58 minutes. From 2000 to 2011, Mr. Singh raced in six London Marathons, two Toronto Marathons, and one New York Marathon.
In 2011, when he was 100, Mr. Singh set eight world age-group records. He achieved this feat in a single day at a special event in Toronto, Canada. His last official race was the 10-kilometer event at the Hong Kong Marathon in 2013. He was 101 years old then, and he finished in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds.
Fauja Singh was born on April 1, 1911, in Beas Pind village. Back then, Punjab was part of British India. His parents were farmers. Mr. Singh often shared that he struggled to walk as a young child. His legs were weak, and he couldn’t walk normally until he was five years old.
Even with his incredible running achievements, Mr. Singh also served as an inspiration in other ways. He carried the Olympic torch for the London Games in 2012. In 2015, he received the British Empire Medal. This honor recognized his work in sports and his charitable efforts.
Despite his widely known status as the world’s oldest marathon runner, Guinness World Records never officially recognized him. This was because he couldn’t provide a birth certificate. He explained that such documents were not common when he was born under colonial British rule in 1911.
Source: AFP