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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Fauja Singh, centenarian runner who inspired millions, dies at 114
The saying 'It's never too late to start over' finds its most extraordinary embodiment in the life of Fauja Singh. The world-renowned centenarian marathoner, who didn't lace up his running shoes until the age of 89, passed away on Monday night at 114. His death was sudden and tragic, he was struck by an unidentified vehicle while out on a walk in his hometown, Beas Pind in Jalandhar. Despite his age, the abruptness of his passing left many heartbroken. Having spent much of his running career in the UK, Singh returned to his roots in India about three years ago after retiring. According to his biographer, Khushwant Singh, "We used to caution him about the dangers of running in India because of reckless driving. Sadly, that's exactly how his journey ended." The journey that began through healing Fauja's path to greatness wasn't born of ambition but healing. After the loss of his youngest son in the 1990s, following the earlier deaths of his wife and daughter, he emigrated to the UK. In Essex, he discovered a running club, which became his refuge and later, his passion. 'Back in the village, he would sit for hours at the cremation ground. That's when his family decided he should move to the UK,' Khushwant said. Running began as a way to escape grief but grew into a purpose. Fauja would go on to participate in prestigious marathons, London, New York, Hong Kong, clocking impressive times for someone not only over 90, but born with weak legs. In 2012, he was a torchbearer at the London Olympics and was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to sport and charity. 'Before meeting the Queen, we had to keep telling him not to hug her like he would greet children,' Khushwant laughed. Ontario Masters Association Invitational Meet: World records broken by Fauja Singh 100m - 23.40 seconds (previous 29.83) 200m - 52.23 seconds (previous 77.59 seconds) 400m - 2:13.48 (previous 3:41.00) 800m - 5:32.18 (no previous record) 1,500m - 11:27.00 (previous 16:46.00) Mile - 11:53.45 (no previous record) 3,000m - 24:52.47 (no previous record) 5,000m - 49:57.39 (no previous record) Despite his fame, Fauja remained grounded. Illiterate but able to recognize numbers as visual patterns, he had no interest in wealth. Every penny he earned through running went to charity. Even unsolicited donations from admirers were quickly dropped into Gurudwara boxes. A true Punjabi at heart, he loved pinnis and the occasional McDonald's strawberry shake, but his discipline as a runner never wavered. He trained diligently and lived simply. One of his most iconic achievements came in 2011 when he turned 100. At an invitational meet in Toronto, he set several records for his age group. Unfortunately, Guinness World Records didn't recognize them due to the lack of a birth certificate, something that never bothered him. 'He was just happy with the attention,' Khushwant said. 'When I once asked if he feared death, he replied, 'Of course, the fun is just beginning.'' Even well past his prime, Fauja remained active, joining a run against drug addiction just two years ago. His name, which means 'soldier,' perfectly suited his approach to life. He faced his trials with unwavering strength and trust in humanity. 'He never worried about travel or logistics,' said Khushwant. 'He believed, 'The community will take care of me.''
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Run, Fauja, Run: The man who never stopped running
At 114, Fauja Singh died too soon. For a man who led a remarkable life, the end was abrupt, almost staccato – hit by an unidentified vehicle while crossing the road. Fauja Singh was 100 when he became 'the oldest man to run a marathon' – clocking 8 hours and 11 minutes at the Toronto Marathon in 2011. Some years earlier, when he was a sprightly 95, and soon after he had finished a marathon, Fauja Singh, resplendent in a big, black turban paired with a matching satin shirt, had told a group of journalists gathered around him in Chandigarh: 'Zindagi inni sohni hai ki maran nu te jee hi nahin karda (Life is so beautiful that I just don't feel like dying).' His eyes twinkled and his face creased into a wide smile. He ran some more, before he finally hung up his boots in 2013, when he turned 102. But Fauja Singh never gave up on life – or his shoes. He collected at least 100 pairs and much later in life, ditched his kurta-pyjama for joggers and fancy suits. 'I love clothes too,' he told The Indian Express that afternoon in Chandigarh, volunteering to open his suitcase to display his collection. Chandigarh-based writer Khushwant Singh, who wrote a 2011 biography of the marathoner, recalls that when he first met him in 2005, Fauja was wearing an electric blue suit, a tie that read 'Marathoner' and a pair of shoes with 'Fauja' on one and 'Singh' on the other. If Fauja first ran, it was to escape a personal tragedy. Villagers in his Beas village in Jalandhar district say Fauja was building a dhaba for his son Kuldeep when the roof collapsed and killed the youngster, the fifth of his six children. That was in August 1994, just two years after his wife, Gian Kaur, died. Devastated, Fauja lost all will to live. His youngest son Harvinder Singh remembers seeing him mourning for hours at the cremation ground. That's when Sukhjinder, the eldest of his sons who lived in England, took him along. In London, he went on long walks. 'I had nothing to do at home. My son told me to take a bus to the local gurdwara, but I decided to walk instead,' he would recount. A chance encounter with Harmander Singh, a marathon coach who met Fauja at a neighbourhood park just six months earlier, would lead to the 89-year-old running his first marathon in April 2000, at age 89. He ran 6 hours, 54 minutes to finish the 26-mile (41-km) run. And soon, he was famous. Adidas appointed him as its brand ambassador and his billboards appeared across London. He was also a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics. Khushwant Singh says Fauja was once invited by Queen Elizabeth II, a meeting for which he was briefed extensively for two days. 'They told him, 'Don't try to hug her, just shake her hand',' he says. 'The best part was the affection that came my way,' Fauja told The Indian Express in an earlier interview. 'Even the memsahibs would call me grandad.' Soon, Fauja was a jet-setting marathoner, greeted aboard flights with public announcements. A British Airways crew even printed 'World traveller, centurion marathoner' on his boarding pass, and Fauja beamed. In 2011, after running nine full marathons in 11 years, he ran the London Marathon, his last when he clocked 7 hours, 49 minutes and 21 seconds. He later transitioned to the shorter 10-km category in marathons. At the 2013 Mumbai Marathon, Fauja rubbed shoulders with actors John Abraham and Gul Panag, jogging with one and cooking pasta with the other. When a reporter asked Abraham how it felt to be with Fauja, he replied: 'Ask me how it feels to be with Fauja Singh ji.' The same year, Fauja ran in the 10-km category in the Hong Kong marathon – his last international run. Khushwant Singh, who spent two years writing Fauja's 2011 biography Turbaned Tornado, recalls how he interviewed the marathoner on foot in East London: 'He said, 'I can either walk or sleep.' So walk we did'. Khushwant says Fauja's accomplishment as the 'oldest marathoner' was not recognised by the Guinness World Records because he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. Fauja, he says, had a British passport that showed his date of birth as April 1, 1911, while a letter from Indian government officials stated that birth records were not maintained in 1911. Khushwant, who once travelled with Fauja to Australia, recalls how he never lost his humility or his large heart, not even when fans from the expat Sikh community thrust dollars into his palm at gurdwaras, 'On the way back, he would quietly put all the money into the gurdwara's gullak,' he says. Khushwant says that when Nestlé asked for Fauja's address for a sponsorship cheque, he gave the name of an Amritsar-based charity organisation. Back home in Punjab, Fauja was courted by politicians, yet was never dazzled by authority. In 2011, in a meeting with then CM Amarinder Singh, he quipped, 'Bibi Bhattal (former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Amarinder's rival) speech badi takri dendi hai (Bhattal gives very powerful speeches).' How Amarinder took the quip isn't part of the records. Around three years ago, Fauja finally moved back from London to his home in Beas, where he lived with his youngest son Harvinder's family. 'He never sat still,' says Bhanjit Kaur, Fauja's daughter-in-law in Beas village. 'From room to courtyard to street, he was always on the move.' Once awake, he wouldn't stop. He would start his day with a desi pinni (a ladoo made with flaxseed or dal and dry fruits), followed by a light brunch of chapati and a sabzi. He loved ghiya (bottle gourd), tinda (apple gourd), and was 'crazy about mangoes. Even till the end, he would eat a kilo a day,' smiles Bhanjit. The trees in the family compound bore fruits from the seeds he once planted. At 3 pm, he would have a cup of tea, after which he walked for hours through the village. 'Jis din reh gaya, ussi din baith jaunga (The day I skip my walk is the day I give up),' he told The Indian Express once. On July 14, too, he was walking. He was crossing the highway to visit a small roadside eatery named after his late son, Kuldeep Singh, when an unidentified vehicle struck him down.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Punjab cops look for Fortuner that killed world's oldest marathoner Fauja Singh
Beas Pind (Jalandhar): Jalandhar police have zeroed in on a white Fortuner that is suspected to have fatally struck Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathoner, on Jalandhar-Pathankot national highway on Monday afternoon. It took over 24 hours of investigation before Jalandhar rural cops announced they were looking for a Punjab-registered SUV. Pieces of vehicle headlight gave important clues, and there was additional evidence in the form of CCTV footage from toll booths and fuel pumps, and eyewitness statements, said an officer. Late Tuesday night, sources said that police had traced a suspect. "A white Fortuner vehicle has been identified. It has been sold a couple of times and we are looking for the present owner," said Jalandhar-rural SSP H S Virk, who visited the spot earlier in the day and met the family. Multiple teams led by senior officials worked on the case, said Virk. Marks of Fauja Singh's blood are still visible on the spot where he was run over. Justice now looks close at hand. That a living legend died in a hit-and-run near his home was shocking enough. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo What makes the tragedy cut even deeper is that Fauja seems to have been walking across to the family dhaba — named after his fifth son who died in an accident during construction of the dhaba at a different location in 1994 — when he was struck. It was his son's death that pushed Fauja Singh to lace up and turn to running as a way of coping with grief. Kuldeep Dhaba displays Fauja's pictures outside and has a picture of Kuldeep inside. The village of Beas Pind and Fauja Singh's house are on one side of the Jalandhar-Pathankot national highway, and the dhaba on the other. Fauja Singh regularly walked across the highway to the dhaba, almost like a ritual, to see his son's picture. The people working at the dhaba believe he was on his way to the dhaba on Monday afternoon when he was hit by a vehicle. "He would visit us every 4-5 days and have one chapati with a small bowl of vegetables or dal and a cup of tea. He would chat with us and those who were around. The last time he visited us was 4-5 days ago. When other visitors spotted him sitting here, he was always a great attraction, and they would take selfies with him. We always took pride in his presence and that his photo adorned the dhaba," said Gurdeep Singh, who looks after the eatery. "I knew him for 40 years and sometimes accompanied him to events. I could not sleep last night. I believed we were earning our bread and butter with his blessings," said Gurdeep, breaking down. "He was very alert and witty. Always unassuming in his interaction with people," he added. Beas Pind resident Gurpreet Singh, who took Fauja Singh to hospital, said that he was going towards Kishangarh when two other villagers signalled for him to stop and pointed at a man lying prone on the highway. He was hit by a vehicle coming from the Bhogpur side (Pathankot towards Jalandhar), they said. "We rushed towards him. He lay face down. It was only after we lifted him that we saw it was Fauja Singh, the pride of our village. It was a brutal shock. He was badly injured but conscious. We rushed him to a hospital on the same highway. We expected that he would recover. He appeared stable to us. But then suddenly, we heard about his death," said Gurpreet.
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Of Tragedies And Tenacity: The Fauja Singh Story
It's never too late to start over, goes the old adage and if ever there was proof needed that it actually isn't, one could always marvel at the life of Fauja Singh. The widely-admired 114-year-old, whose career as a marathon runner began when he was 89 and propelled him to the status of a global icon, died on Monday night. It was a heartbreakingly abrupt end despite his age. He was hit by a yet-to-be-identified vehicle while out for a walk at Beas Pind, his native village in Jalandhar. The frail man, who weathered many a personal storms with his resilience and "nonchalance", had spent a better part of his running career in Britain and returned to his roots just about three years ago after retiring. "We would always tell him that someone his age running in India would always run the risk of being hit given how reckless the driving here is. This is what ultimately happened unfortunately," said his biographer Khushwant Singh, whose book 'The Turbaned Tornado' documents the celebrated runner's life. Fauja's story of strength began long after time slows down for most, especially those who have been mauled by the life's many tragedies. He too was battling demons of his own. Overwhelmed by the loss of his youngest son in the mid '90s, Fauja found solace in running with a local club in Essex after moving out of India following the death of his wife and daughter. "The villagers would tell one of his sons to take him to the UK because he would keep visiting the cremation ground and sit there for hours. So, eventually he moved to Ilford (a town in east London)," said Khushwant. Once there, Fauja endured another loss before he chanced upon a running club. And what started as a hobby to take his mind off the circumstances that threatened to consume him, became the driving force of his life. He went on to run marathons, including the famed ones in London, New York and and Hong Kong, and inspire awe for clocking some brilliant timings for a 90-plus man born with weak legs. In the process, he also became a torch-bearer at the 2012 London Olympics and was honoured by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to sport and charity. "Before that meeting with the Queen we had to repeatedly counsel him 'Baba, Queen naal sirf hath milana hai, japphi ni paani jinwein baccheyan nu tussi paande ho' (Baba, you have to only shake hands with the Queen, don't hug her like you hug kids when you meet them)," Khushwant, whose long association with the centenarian started in 2005, recalled. "But jokes apart, he was a very resilient man with a lot of earthy wisdom. He could not read in general but could identify numbers because for him they were designs that he had memorised. "He was also someone who had no greed. Every rupee he earned by running marathons went to charity. Once he became famous, people would walk up to him to give money even in Gurudwaras but he would straightaway put that money into the donation boxes there," he said. Like a true blue large-hearted romanticised Punjabi, Fauja loved his pinnis (sweet balls of ghee, flour, and jaggery dotted with dry fruits) and the occasional strawberry shake from McDonald's. But he was also a disciplined runner who would train vigorously before his races. Among the most memorable of his runs was in 2011 when he turned 100. The invitational meet in Toronto was named in his honour and he broke several world records for his age group. But none of them were taken into consideration by Guinness World Records as he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. "He was not bothered by any of that. He just enjoyed the attention that he got. I once asked him 'Baba, maran ton darr lagda? (Baba, are you afraid of death?). He said 'haan, bilkul lagda. Haje te mele shuru hoye ne (Yes, of course. The fun has only started for me)," Khushwant said, remembering one of their conversations on mortality. "He was a simple man but understood with clarity, the importance of fitness and training. Even two years back, he was gracious enough to join a run against drug addiction," he added. In the end, Fauja lived up to the values that his name reflected. He fought the battle of life with the resolve of a soldier. "He travelled the world but never once bothered to ask about who would take care of his stay and other requirements. He just had confidence in the system and so many times, when I was with him, he would simply say 'Sangat saambh laigi' (the community will take care of me)." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Of tragedies and tenacity: The Fauja Singh story
It's never too late to start over, goes the old adage and if ever there was proof needed that it actually isn't, one could always marvel at the life of Fauja Singh . The widely-admired 114-year-old, whose career as a marathon runner began when he was 89 and propelled him to the status of a global icon, died on Monday night. It was a heartbreakingly abrupt end despite his age. He was hit by a yet-to-be-identified vehicle while out for a walk at Beas Pind, his native village in Jalandhar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo The frail man, who weathered many a personal storms with his resilience and "nonchalance", had spent a better part of his running career in Britain and returned to his roots just about three years ago after retiring. "We would always tell him that someone his age running in India would always run the risk of being hit given how reckless the driving here is. This is what ultimately happened unfortunately," said his biographer Khushwant Singh, whose book 'The Turbaned Tornado' documents the celebrated runner's life. Live Events Fauja's story of strength began long after time slows down for most, especially those who have been mauled by the life's many tragedies. He too was battling demons of his own. Overwhelmed by the loss of his youngest son in the mid '90s, Fauja found solace in running with a local club in Essex after moving out of India following the death of his wife and daughter. "The villagers would tell one of his sons to take him to the UK because he would keep visiting the cremation ground and sit there for hours. So, eventually he moved to Ilford (a town in east London)," said Khushwant. Once there, Fauja endured another loss before he chanced upon a running club. And what started as a hobby to take his mind off the circumstances that threatened to consume him, became the driving force of his life. He went on to run marathons, including the famed ones in London, New York and and Hong Kong, and inspire awe for clocking some brilliant timings for a 90-plus man born with weak legs. In the process, he also became a torch-bearer at the 2012 London Olympics and was honoured by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to sport and charity. "Before that meeting with the Queen we had to repeatedly counsel him 'Baba, Queen naal sirf hath milana hai, japphi ni paani jinwein baccheyan nu tussi paande ho' (Baba, you have to only shake hands with the Queen, don't hug her like you hug kids when you meet them)," Khushwant, whose long association with the centenarian started in 2005, recalled. "But jokes apart, he was a very resilient man with a lot of earthy wisdom. He could not read in general but could identify numbers because for him they were designs that he had memorised. "He was also someone who had no greed. Every rupee he earned by running marathons went to charity. Once he became famous, people would walk up to him to give money even in Gurudwaras but he would straightaway put that money into the donation boxes there," he said. Like a true blue large-hearted romanticised Punjabi, Fauja loved his pinnis (sweet balls of ghee, flour, and jaggery dotted with dry fruits) and the occasional strawberry shake from McDonald's. But he was also a disciplined runner who would train vigorously before his races. Among the most memorable of his runs was in 2011 when he turned 100. The invitational meet in Toronto was named in his honour and he broke several world records for his age group. But none of them were taken into consideration by Guinness World Records as he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. "He was not bothered by any of that. He just enjoyed the attention that he got. I once asked him 'Baba, maran ton darr lagda? (Baba, are you afraid of death?). He said 'haan, bilkul lagda. Haje te mele shuru hoye ne (Yes, of course. The fun has only started for me)," Khushwant said, remembering one of their conversations on mortality. "He was a simple man but understood with clarity, the importance of fitness and training. Even two years back, he was gracious enough to join a run against drug addiction," he added. In the end, Fauja lived up to the values that his name reflected. He fought the battle of life with the resolve of a soldier. "He travelled the world but never once bothered to ask about who would take care of his stay and other requirements. He just had confidence in the system and so many times, when I was with him, he would simply say 'Sangat saambh laigi' (the community will take care of me)."
