'World's oldest marathon runner' dies aged 114 in road accident
Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the "Turbaned Tornado", died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district on Monday.
"My Turbaned Tornado is no more," Fauja's biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X.
"He was struck by an unidentified vehicle... in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja."
Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911.
He ran full marathons (42 kilometre) till the age of 100.
His last race was a 10-kilometre (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.
He became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television.
Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011.
Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
His strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet "laddu" packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media.
"Fauja Singh 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," said Modi on X
"He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world."
Agence France-Presse
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
21 hours ago
- Gulf Today
India's cricket stars consoled by King Charles after Lord's defeat
Britain's King Charles III commiserated with India's crestfallen cricket stars on Tuesday in the aftermath of their painful defeat against England at Lord's. Charles consoled members of the Indian team when he hosted them at his Clarence House home less than 24 hours after the third Test ended in an agonising loss for the tourists. India, chasing 193 to win, were beaten by 22 runs in the final session of the last day. India's Mohammed Siraj was the last man out when he attempted to block a delivery from Shoaib Bashir, only to see the ball spin back onto the stumps and dislodge a bail. The King told India captain Shubman Gill he had watched the crucial last wicket fall on television on Monday. He said in sympathy about the dramatic spin on the ball that dismissed Siraj; 'really annoying just to touch the bails'. India trail 2-1 in the five-match series, with the fourth Test scheduled for Old Trafford next week before the finale at The Oval in London. Gill added: 'He did tell us that the way our last batsman got out was quite unfortunate - the ball rolling on the stumps, and he was just asking us how did we feel after that. 'And we told him it was an unfortunate match for us, but it could have gone either way and hopefully we'll have better luck in both the next games.' Gill said the finger injury suffered by Rishabh Pant in the third Test against England is not overly serious and the wicketkeeper-batsman should be able to play in the next match in Manchester. Pant injured the index finger of his left hand when trying to collect a delivery from Bumrah during England's first innings at Lord's. Pant completed the over but did not keep wickets afterwards, though he batted in both innings. Dhruv Jurel replaced him behind the stumps for the remainder of the test, which England won by 22 runs to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. 'Rishabh went for scans and there is no major injury there,' Gill told reporters. 'I think he should be fine for the next test match.' England call up Dawson to replace injured Bashir: England have recalled spinner Liam Dawson for next week's fourth Test against India after the injured Shoaib Bashir was ruled out for the rest of the series. Dawson made the last of his three Test appearances eight years ago, but the 35-year-old is in line for an unexpected return to the international stage at Old Trafford. Despite having already broken the little finger on his left hand, Bashir took the winning wicket. Agencies
Gulf Today
21 hours ago
- Gulf Today
'World's oldest marathon runner' dies aged 114 in road accident
India's Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday. Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the "Turbaned Tornado", died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district on Monday. "My Turbaned Tornado is no more," Fauja's biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X. "He was struck by an unidentified vehicle... in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja." Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911. He ran full marathons (42 kilometre) till the age of 100. His last race was a 10-kilometre (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. He became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television. Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011. Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali. His strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet "laddu" packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media. "Fauja Singh 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," said Modi on X "He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world." Agence France-Presse
Khaleej Times
21 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Pakistani Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem says promises of land 'fake'
Pakistani Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem has said that the plots of land promised to him never came through. The athlete was promised various gifts and cash prizes on bagging the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. While speaking to media in London, Nadeem said that some of the promises made to him were "fake". He said, "They showered me with announcements of rewards. If you look at the plots that were promised, they were all fake. But Alhamdulillah, I have received all the other prizes." He however, confirmed that aside from the plots of land, he did receive all promised cash prizes. He was promised over Rs300 million in cash rewards from the Pakistani prime Minister, the Punjab government, the Sindh government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister. Many private sponsors and companies offered him gifts like a lifetime of fuel and an apartment, as well. The Olympic athlete said that he was now focusing on himself and his training as the "targets ahead are very big".
