Fauja Singh, an Indian-born British national believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner, has died at the age of 114 after being hit by a car in India. About this informs BBC.
According to the police, the tragedy occurred in the village of Beas Pind, Punjab, where Singh was born. Crossing the road, he got under the wheels of an unidentified car. Local residents rushed him to the hospital, where he died.
“Now a search is underway and the accused will be caught soon”, the police said.
Since 1992, Singh lived in Ilford, east London. His athletic career is impressive: he started running at the age of 89 and ran nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013, ending his active career after his 102nd birthday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as “an exceptional athlete with incredible determination”.
Singh, who carried the Olympic torch at the 2012 London Games, gained recognition in 2011 by becoming the first 100-year-old marathoner to complete the full distance in Toronto. However, his record did not enter the Guinness Book of Records due to the lack of an official birth certificate in 1911. At the same time, his British passport shows the date of birth as April 1, 1911, and he received a letter of congratulations from the Queen on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
His coach Harmander Singh explained that at the time of Fauji’s birth, birth certificates were not issued in India. Representatives of the Guinness Book of Records said that they would “give him the record with pleasure”, but can “only accept official documents issued in the year of birth”. As a child in Punjab, Singh was teased for being weak, as he could not walk properly until the age of five. Singh admitted that he did not know about the existence of marathons when he was young.
“I never went to school or played any sports. I was a farmer and spent most of my life in the fields.” he said.
Running became a way for him to cope with personal grief. After the death of his wife Jan Kaur in the 1990s, he moved to London to live with his son Sukhjinder. During a visit to India, he witnessed the death of his youngest son Kuldeep, which was a strong blow for him. After that, overcome with pain, he sat for hours at the cremation site. Concerned villagers advised his family to return him to Great Britain.
In London, he joined a group of elderly men who ran regularly. In 2000, a month before his 89th birthday, he made his debut at the London Marathon. International fame came to him in 2004 when Adidas involved him in the Impossible is Nothing advertising campaign alongside legends such as Muhammad Ali.
In 2005, he received an invitation from the Prime Minister of Pakistan to take part in the Lahore Marathon, and the following year – a special invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to visit Buckingham Palace. Even after 100 years, Singh continued to run, for which he was nicknamed “Tornado in a turban”. He donated most of the fees to charity.
In 2013, he ran his last official race – 10 km in Hong Kong, covering the distance in 1 hour 32 minutes 28 seconds. Singh attributed his longevity and good health to a simple lifestyle and disciplined diet.
Photo: bbc.com
