Latest news with #Guinness World Records
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fauja Singh, ‘world's oldest marathoner', dies in India road accident
Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident in India at the age of 114, his biographer says. Singh, an Indian-born British national nicknamed the 'Turbaned Tornado', was killed on Monday when he was hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district. 'My Turbaned Tornado is no more,' 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 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. He was inspired by seeing marathons on television. He did not have a birth certificate, but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911. He ran full marathons (42km, or 26 miles) until the age of 100. He ran his last race when he was 101. It was a 10km (6-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon, where he finished in an hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. After his retirement from racing, Singh 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 any more'. Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, Singh was not certified by Guinness World Records because he could not prove his age, saying birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule. Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and London in 2012 and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh 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,' Modi said on X. 'He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination.'
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Fauja Singh, ‘world's oldest marathoner', dies in India road accident
Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident in India at the age of 114, his biographer says. Singh, an Indian-born British national nicknamed the 'Turbaned Tornado', was killed on Monday when he was hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district. 'My Turbaned Tornado is no more,' 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 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. He was inspired by seeing marathons on television. He did not have a birth certificate, but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911. He ran full marathons (42km, or 26 miles) until the age of 100. He ran his last race when he was 101. It was a 10km (6-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon, where he finished in an hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. After his retirement from racing, Singh 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 any more'. Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, Singh was not certified by Guinness World Records because he could not prove his age, saying birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule. Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and London in 2012 and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh 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,' Modi said on X. 'He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'World's oldest marathon runner' dies aged 114 in road accident
Fauja Singh (front), seen here after finishing a 10km race in Hong Kong in 2013, has died at the age of 114 (DALE de la REY) 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. Advertisement "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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement "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." fk/abh/dh
