'World's oldest marathon runner' dies aged 114 in road accident
Asia
By
AFP
| Jul 15, 2025
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.
READ MORE
Airtel takes on Safaricom with Sh5.6b data centre
Lokichar-Lamu crude pipeline plan still on, says Treasury
Employers warn of rising costs, urge Ruto to protect jobs
British Airways parent says Mideast war to hit annual profits
Mpesa drives growth as Safaricom hits record Sh99.7b profit
Kenya to spend nearly half of budget on debt servicing
KDC roots for creative economy, innovation and youth-led enterprise growth
Kenya, World Bank deepen irrigation push to boost food security
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."