Fauja Singh, ‘world’s oldest marathoner’, dies in India road accident

The Indian-born British nationalist became an planetary sensation aft taking up region moving astatine the property of 89.

Fauja Singh, believed to beryllium the world’s oldest region runner, has died successful a roadworthy mishap successful India astatine the property of 114, his biographer says.

Singh, an Indian-born British nationalist nicknamed the “Turbaned Tornado”, was killed connected Monday erstwhile helium was deed by a conveyance successful Punjab state’s Jalandhar district.

“My Turbaned Tornado is nary more,” biographer Khushwant Singh wrote connected X. “He was struck by an unidentified conveyance … successful his village, Bias, portion crossing the road. Rest successful peace, my beloved Fauja.”

Singh became an international sensation aft taking up region moving astatine the ripe aged property of 89 aft the decease of his woman and 1 of his sons. He was inspired by seeing marathons connected television.

He did not person a commencement certificate, but his household said helium was calved connected April 1, 1911. He ran afloat marathons (42km, oregon 26 miles) until the property of 100.

He ran his past contention erstwhile helium was 101. It was a 10km (6-mile) lawsuit astatine the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon, wherever helium finished successful an hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

Singh, past 104, attends the 2016 Mumbai Marathon, which helium flagged disconnected [File: Sujit Jaiswal/AFP]

After his status from racing, Singh said helium hoped “people volition retrieve maine and not hide me”. He besides wanted radical to proceed to invitation him to events “rather than hide maine altogether conscionable due to the fact that I don’t tally immoderate more”.

Although wide regarded arsenic the world’s oldest marathon runner, Singh was not certified by Guinness World Records due to the fact that helium could not beryllium his age, saying commencement certificates did not beryllium erstwhile helium was calved nether British assemblage rule.

Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics successful Athens successful 2004 and London successful 2012 and appeared successful advertisements with sports stars specified arsenic David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh connected societal media.

“Fauja Singh was bonzer due to the fact that of his unsocial persona and the mode successful which helium inspired the younker of India connected a precise important taxable of fitness,” Modi said connected X. “He was an exceptional jock with unthinkable determination.”