Fauja Singh, the remarkable centenarian who inspired millions worldwide as the world’s oldest marathon runner, has died at the age of 114 after a tragic hit-and-run accident in India.
Police in Punjab confirmed that Singh, affectionately known as the “Turbaned Tornado,” was struck by an unknown vehicle while walking near his native village of Beas on Monday. He sustained severe head and rib injuries and later succumbed at Shrimann Hospital in Jalandhar district, according to senior police officials.
Read also: World’s oldest person, Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas dies at 116
A suspect has since been arrested following a review of CCTV footage. Inspector Hardev Preet Singh at Adampur police station said the accused, a 26-year-old man with ties overseas, has been taken into custody and will face charges including negligent driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. His family in Canada has been notified.
Singh’s death has triggered an outpouring of grief and tributes across India and beyond. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the condolences, describing him as “an exceptional athlete with incredible determination.”
Read also: 10 oldest senate president in Africa
Born in rural Punjab in 1911, Singh’s early life gave little hint of the athlete he would become. As a child, he was so frail he could not walk until the age of five. He later migrated to London following the deaths of his wife and son — a move that changed the course of his life.
At age 89, Singh laced up his first pair of running shoes. “Running showed me kindness and brought me back to life by making me forget all my traumas and sorrows,” he told CNN in a 2013 interview.
What began as a coping mechanism soon propelled him into the global spotlight. Nicknamed the “Turbaned Tornado,” Singh completed nine full marathons, including the Toronto Waterfront Marathon where, at 100, he became the first centenarian on record to finish a 26.2-mile race. His personal best — five hours and 40 minutes — was clocked in Toronto in 2003.
Read also: Top 10 oldest Universities in the world
Despite his extraordinary feats, Singh’s claim to official records was complicated. Guinness World Records never formally recognised his accomplishments because he lacked a birth certificate — an all-too-common reality for many born in rural India in the early 20th century. But his story resonated far beyond record books. He carried the Olympic torch for the 2012 London Games and received a congratulatory letter from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth on his 100th birthday.
Singh’s last competitive run was in Hong Kong in 2013, a 10-kilometre route he completed at age 101. But he never fully hung up his beloved trainers. “I am very fond of my running shoes, I absolutely love them. I wear them for pleasure. I can’t imagine my life without them,” he once said.
