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Observer
3 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Marathon runner Fauja Singh dies aged 114
LONDON: British marathon runner Fauja Singh has died in a road accident in Punjab, India, aged 114. The athlete — believed to be the oldest runner to complete a marathon- was hit by a car and suffered fatal injuries while trying to cross a road in his birth village Beas Pind, near Jalandhar in Punjab, on Monday, according to reports in India. His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs In The City,confirmed his death and said their upcoming events in Ilford, east London, will be a celebration of his life and achievements. Singh — who lived in Ilford from 1992 — made his name by beating a number of records for marathon times in multiple age brackets. The centenarian became an inspiration for countless athletes by running marathons past the age of 100. A profile on the Olympics website said Singh was born in Punjab, then under British rule, on April 1, 1911 and was the youngest of four children in a farming family. He was said to have suffered from thin and weak legs, and was unable to walk until he was five years old. He moved to England and settled in east London with his son after the death of his wife Gian Kaur in Jalandhar. It was not until 2000, aged 89, that he took up running, quickly rising to fame by completing his maiden marathon in London in six hours and 54 minutes. This time knocked 58 minutes off the previous world's best in the 90-plus age bracket. Singh ran numerous marathons, completing the 2003 Toronto Water front Marathon in five hours and 40 minutes, his personal October 16, 2011, in Toronto, the runner is thought to have become the first centenarian to run a marathon. Guinness World Records described it as an "inspirational achievement" but said it was unable to recognise the feat without the necessary proof of his date of birth. Singh did not have a birth certificate, as official birth records were not kept in India in 1911, although the date of birth on his passport was April 1, 1911 and he received a personal letter from Queen Elizabeth II on his 100th birthday. He was a torchbearer for the London 2012 Olympics and retired at the age of 101. Harmander Singh, Fauja Singh's coach at Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death in a statement posted to the running club. "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 old. He succumbed to injuries caused by a vehicle accident while crossing the road close to his home. His running club and charity Sikhs In The City will be devoting all of its events until the Fauja Singh Birthday Challenge on Sunday March 29, 2026 to celebrate his life of success and achievements. We will be doubling the efforts to raise funds to building the Fauja Singh Clubhouse on the route in Ilford where he used to train. In lieu of flowers please donate to his Clubhouse Appeal so we can carry on his legacy to encourage the world to keep fit and stay positive." Preet Kaur Gill MP said on X: "Saddened to hear about the passing of Fauja Singh. "I had the honour of meeting him. A truly inspiring man. His discipline, simple living, and deep humility left a lasting mark on me. "A reminder that age is just a number, but attitude is everything. Rest in power, legend." Jas Athwal MP said on X: "Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Sardar Fauja Singh Ji. "He was legendary — a man who continued running until he was 101. He was a global Sikh icon, that inspired millions across the world. "His spirit and legacy of resilience will run on forever. My heartfelt condolences to all his family and friends. We will miss him. — dpa
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Arab Times
World's oldest marathon runner, dies at 114 in hit-and-run accident
LONDON, July 16, (AP): Fauja Singh, an Indian-born runner nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo who was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car. He was 114. Local media in India reported that Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death. India's Prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh, saying he was "extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness.' Singh became the oldest man to run a full marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 in Toronto. His accomplishment was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. Singh 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 kept in 1911. A torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, Singh took up running at the age of 89 as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession in India. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on him because of its grisly nature. Singh and his son, Kuldip, both farmers, were checking on their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father's eyes. Singh, whose five other children had emigrated, was left all alone. "He didn't think his life was worth living without his son' following the traumatic incident, his coach Harmander Singh said. He went to live with his youngest son in London. That's where sports enthusiast Singh attended tournaments organized by the Sikh community and took part in sprints. He met some Sikh marathon runners who encouraged him to take up long-distance running. One day he saw a marathon on television for the first time and decided that's what he wanted to do. At the age of 89 in 2000 he ran the London Marathon, his first, and went on to do eight more. His best time was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto Marathon. "From a tragedy has come a lot of success and happiness,' Singh said. Singh ran his last competitive race in 2013 at the age of 101, finishing the Hong Kong Marathon's 10-kilometer (6.25-mile) race in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 28 seconds. Following his retirement from racing, he said he hoped "people will remember me and not forget me.' He also wanted people to continue to invite him to events "rather than forget me altogether just because I don't run anymore.' "He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination,' Modi said. "Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.'
Euronews
4 days ago
- Sport
- Euronews
World's oldest marathon runner dies at 114 after being hit by a car
The Turbaned Torpedo, an Indian-born runner who was thought to be the oldest marathon runner in history, died on Monday after being struck by a car. The marathoner, whose real name is Fauja Singh, was 114. According to local media in India, Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh, saying he was 'extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness.' In 2011, at the age of 100, Singh became the oldest man to complete a full marathon in Toronto, but the Guinness World Records did not recognise his achievement since he lacked a birth certificate to verify his age. With a British passport that showed his date of birth as April 1, 1911, a letter from Indian government officials showed that birth records were not kept in 1911, throwing Singh's real age into doubt. Singh took up running at the age of 89 as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession in India. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on him because of its grisly nature. Singh and his son, Kuldip, both farmers, were checking on their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father's eyes. A torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, the British Indian marathoner completed his first London Marathon in 2000 at the age of 89 and went on to do eight more. At the 2003 Toronto Marathon, he set a personal best time of five hours and forty minutes. 'From a tragedy has come a lot of success and happiness,' Singh said. Singh ran his last competitive race in 2013 at the age of 101, finishing the Hong Kong Marathon's 10-kilometer (6.25-mile) race in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 28 seconds. Following his retirement from racing, he said he hoped 'people will remember me and not forget me.' He also wanted people to continue to invite him to events 'rather than forget me altogether just because I don't run anymore.' 'He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination,' Modi said. 'Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.'
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
World's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, dies at 114 after being hit by a car
LONDON — Fauja Singh, an Indian-born runner nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo who was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car. He was 114. Article content Local media in India reported that Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death. Article content Article content Article content India's Prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh, saying he was 'extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness.' Article content Article content Singh became the oldest man to run a full marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 in Toronto. His accomplishment was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. Singh 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 kept in 1911. Article content A torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, Singh took up running at the age of 89 as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession in India. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on him because of its grisly nature. Article content Article content Singh and his son, Kuldip, both farmers, were checking on their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father's eyes. Article content Article content Singh, whose five other children had emigrated, was left all alone. Article content 'He didn't think his life was worth living without his son' following the traumatic incident, his coach Harmander Singh said. Article content He went to live with his youngest son in London. That's where sports enthusiast Singh attended tournaments organized by the Sikh community and took part in sprints. He met some Sikh marathon runners who encouraged him to take up long-distance running. One day he saw a marathon on television for the first time and decided that's what he wanted to do. Article content At the age of 89 in 2000 he ran the London Marathon, his first, and went on to do eight more. His best time was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto Marathon.
Ottawa Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
World's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, dies at 114 after being hit by a car
LONDON — Fauja Singh, an Indian-born runner nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo who was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car. He was 114. Article content Local media in India reported that Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death. Article content Article content Article content India's Prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh, saying he was 'extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness.' Article content Article content Singh became the oldest man to run a full marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 in Toronto. His accomplishment was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. Singh 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 kept in 1911. Article content A torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, Singh took up running at the age of 89 as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession in India. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on him because of its grisly nature. Article content Article content Singh and his son, Kuldip, both farmers, were checking on their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father's eyes. Article content Article content Singh, whose five other children had emigrated, was left all alone. Article content 'He didn't think his life was worth living without his son' following the traumatic incident, his coach Harmander Singh said. Article content He went to live with his youngest son in London. That's where sports enthusiast Singh attended tournaments organized by the Sikh community and took part in sprints. He met some Sikh marathon runners who encouraged him to take up long-distance running. One day he saw a marathon on television for the first time and decided that's what he wanted to do. Article content At the age of 89 in 2000 he ran the London Marathon, his first, and went on to do eight more. His best time was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto Marathon.
