Veteran Marathoner Fauja Singh Passes Away at 114 in Tragic Road Accident

Add as a preferred source on Google

Fauja Singh, the globally admired centenarian marathon runner, passed away at the age of 114 on Monday after being struck by an unidentified vehicle in his hometown of Beas, located in Punjab's Jalandhar district.

Fondly known as the 'Turbaned Tornado', Singh had earned international acclaim when he completed a full marathon at the remarkable age of 100, becoming the oldest known person to achieve this feat.

Born on April 1, 1911, he had celebrated his 114th birthday earlier this year. Over his extraordinary career, which spanned from 2000 to 2013, Singh completed nine full marathons, defying age and physical limitations.

His story is one of resilience. Raised in a farming household as the youngest of four children, Singh once struggled with basic mobility. "I was very weak as a child. I had faced trouble walking till the age of five years but then as I spent time at the farm and with the support of my family and waheguru, I started walking," Singh recalled during a visit to Chandigarh, speaking to The Indian Express.

After the death of his wife, Gian Kaur, in 1993, Singh moved to England to live with his son. There, he began walking regularly in public parks near his Ilford home. It was during this time that he met Harmandar Singh, a marathon coach who recognized Fauja's potential. At age 89, he completed his first marathon-London 2000-in 6 hours and 54 minutes, surpassing the previous senior citizen record by nearly an hour.

"Prior to the London Marathon, he would train in any kind of weather. There was one charity called Bliss, which raised money for newborn kids and during his whole career, he always supported charities across the world," Harmandar Singh said, speaking to The Indian Express.

Singh's unique diet of daal-based laddus with dry fruits, homemade curd, and daily farm walks played a key role in his vitality. His global recognition also included being featured in Adidas's 'Impossible is Nothing' campaign alongside Muhammad Ali and David Beckham.

Fauja Singh's legacy lives on as a beacon of hope, strength, and human endurance.