Who was Fauja Singh, the 114-year-old marathoner, killed in a hit-and-run in Jalandhar? – Firstpost

Fauja Singh, fondly called the “Turbaned Tornado”, died at the age of 114 on July 14 after being struck by a car near his home in Beas Pind, Jalandhar.

Widely believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner, Singh was an icon who shattered records across age categories, most notably, continuing to run marathons well past the age of 100.

The frail man, who weathered many a personal storms with grit and perseverance, had spent a better part of his running career in the UK and returned to his roots just about three years ago after retiring.

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“We would always tell him that someone his age running in India would always run the risk of being hit, given how reckless the driving here is. This is what ultimately happened, unfortunately,” said his biographer Khushwant Singh, who chronicled the legendary athlete’s journey in The Turbaned Tornado.

As the world mourns the tragic end of an extraordinary life, here’s a look back at the man, his journey, and the legacy he left behind.

‘In my youth, I didn’t know ‘marathons’ existed’

Fauja Singh was born on April 1, 1911, in Beas Pind, a small village in pre-Partition British India. The youngest of four siblings, Singh had a frail frame as a child. Locals in his village even nicknamed him “Stick” because his legs were too weak to support him, and he couldn’t walk properly until he was five.

Instead of going to school, he spent most of his early years helping out on the family farm, feeding cattle and growing crops like corn and wheat.

“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,” he told The Indian Express in an interview.

Fauja Singh. Image courtesy: X

Before turning 40, Singh had already lived through both World Wars and the horrors of the Partition. Despite everything, he had never thought of running in his youth.

“In my youth, I didn’t even know the word ‘marathon’ existed,” he once told the BBC. “I never went to school, nor was I involved in any kind of sports. I was a farmer and spent most of my life in the fields.”

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Singh later married and had six children. Life took a turn in 1993 when he moved to England after the death of his wife, Gian Kaur. He settled in Ilford, London, to live with his eldest son, Sukhjinder. However, another tragedy soon followed. While visiting India, Singh witnessed the accidental death of his younger son, Kuldeep. The loss left him shattered.

He returned to London and began to find solace in long walks and eventually running, often frequenting parks near his home. On one of his visits to the local gurdwara, he met a group of elderly men who ran together.

It was here that he met Harmander Singh, who would become his coach and one of his closest companions.

“Had I not met Harmander Singh, I wouldn’t have got into marathon running,” Singh had told The Indian Express.

Becoming the ‘Turbaned tornado’

Fauja Singh ran his first marathon—the London Marathon—in 2000, at the age of 89. He completed it in six hours and 54 minutes, kicking off a remarkable journey that would make him a global icon.

“Running gave him a new focus in life, made it worth living,” his coach Harmander Singh told The New York Times in 2010.

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With each race, Singh grew stronger and faster. By his third London Marathon, he had shaved nine minutes off his previous time. In 2003, he amazed the world again at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon by clocking in at five hours and 40 minutes, improving his personal best by over an hour.

He credited his health and longevity to a simple lifestyle and disciplined vegetarian diet.

“Eating less, running more, and staying happy – that is the secret behind my longevity. This is my message to everyone,” he had told BBC.

“Running gave him a new focus in life, made it worth living,” Fauja Singh’s coach Harmander Singh said in 2010. PTI

His dedication caught international attention. Adidas featured him in their Nothing Is Impossible campaign alongside Muhammad Ali in 2003. The Pakistani Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf invited him to the inaugural Lahore Marathon in 2005, and Queen Elizabeth II welcomed him to Buckingham Palace in 2006.

Then came 2011—the year he turned 100. At a Toronto invitational meet named in his honour, Singh broke several world records in his age category. However, Guinness World Records did not recognise any of them, as he did not have a birth certificate from 1911 to prove his age.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADSingh shows off his medal from the Edinburgh Marathon in 2005.

“He was not bothered by any of that. He just enjoyed the attention that he got. I once asked him ‘Baba, maran ton darr lagda? (Baba, are you afraid of death?). He said ‘haan, bilkul lagda. Haje te mele shuru hoye ne (Yes, of course. The fun has only started for me),” recalled his biographer Khuswant Singh.

In 2012, Singh proudly served as a torchbearer at the London Olympics. His final competitive race came a year later in Hong Kong, a 10-kilometre event, after which he announced his retirement.

Legacy beyond the finish line

By 2016, Singh had hung up his marathon shoes, but that didn’t mean slowing down. Even in his later years, he would walk up to 16 km a day around Ilford in East London, his coach Harmander Singh said.

In 2015, he was honoured with the British Empire Medal for his services to sport and charity. His story reached new audiences in 2020 when writer Simran Jeet Singh published Fauja Singh Keeps Going—the first children’s picture book by a major publisher centred on a Sikh protagonist.

“I’m now 108 years old, which means I’m probably more than 100 years older than you,” Singh wrote in the book’s foreword to young readers. “Can you believe that?”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADFauja Singh setting a world record for the fastest centenarian in an 800m race in 2011. File image/ AP.

Following his death, tributes poured in from all corners of the world. PM Narendra Modi called him “an exceptional athlete with incredible determination” and praised how he inspired India’s youth to embrace fitness.

Fauja Singh Ji 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. He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2025

Back in Ilford, Harmander Singh has launched a campaign to raise funds for a memorial clubhouse in Singh’s name, reports The Indian Express.  “We’re collecting £114 from close to 9,000 people around the world,” he said, “to build something that keeps the Fauja Singh legacy alive.”

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Even at 114, Singh was actively participating in causes he believed in. He joined the ‘Nasha Mukt – Rangla Punjab’ march to promote a drug-free Punjab.

As the world bids farewell to Singh, his remarkable legacy will live in every marathon run, every story of resilience, and in the millions of lives he inspired.

With input from agencies

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