Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest ‘oldest’ marathon, dies at 114 in hit-and-rain crash

Fauja Singh, a British-Indian man, believed that it is the oldest marathon runner in the world, after being hit by a car in India at the age of 114.

Police say Singh was crossing a road in the village where he was born in Punjab when he was killed by an unknown vehicle. The locals took him to the hospital, where he died.

A global icon, Singh, made a record by running a marathon in several age categories, when he was over 100. He started walking at 89 and drove nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013, when he retired.

His running club and charity in the city, Sikhs said, its upcoming program in Ilford, East London, where he had lived since 1992, will be a celebration of his life and achievements.

The hit and run took place on Monday as Shatabdi was running near its birth village, Beas Pind, Jalandhar.

District Police Officer Hartinder Singh said, “A discovery is going on, and the accused will be caught soon.”

As the news of his death came, tributes were put in tribute.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “extraordinary athlete with an exceptional determination”.

Among the Sikhs in the city, Fauja Singh’s coach Harmander Singh confirmed his death in a statement posted to the running club.

The statement said: “It is very sad that we can confirm the power plant of humanity’s icon and positivity, Fauja Singh has died in India.

“His running club and charity Sikhs in the city will dedicate all their programs, until Fauja Singh Birthday Challenge Sunday 29 March 2026 to celebrate his life of success and achievements.

“We will double the efforts to raise funds for the construction of Fauja Singh Clubhouse on the route in Ellford, where he trained.”

When the BBC met Singh in Beas Pind in June, he was agile and active, walking several miles every day.

“I still roam around the village to keep my feet strong. A person has to take care of his body,” he said.

A flashlight for the 2012 London Olympics, Singh saw several milestones during his ongoing career, allegedly became the first century to complete a full marathon in Toronto in 2011.

However, his claim of being the world’s oldest marathon runner was not recognized by the Guinness World Records as he could not show the birth certificate since 1911. The BBC said at the time that Singh’s British passport showed his date of birth as 1 April 1911, and he had a letter to the queen who congratulated him on his 100th birthday.

His instructor, harmander Singh said that birth certificates were not made in India at the time of Singh’s birth.

Officials of the Guinness World Records stated that they loved “to give him a record”, but they could only accept the official birth documents created in the year of birth “.

As a young boy growing up in Punjab, Singh was teased by the people of his village because his legs were weak and could not walk properly until the age of five.

“But the same boy, once made fun of his weakness, went to make history,” he told BBC Punjabi in June.

At the age of 40, the lion, a farmer, lived through the unrest of both world wars and experienced the trauma of partition.

Singh told BBC Punjabi, “In my youth, I did not even know that the word ‘marathon’ was present.” “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.”

He first ran to deal with sorrow.

After the death of his wife Gian Kaur in the early 1990s, he moved to London to live with his eldest son Sukhjinder. But during a visit to India, he saw the death of his younger son Kuldeep in an accident, destroying him.

Out of grief, Singh used to spend hours sitting near the place where his son was cremated. The villagers concerned advised their family to take her back to Britain.

Back to Ellford in London, during one of his visit to the Gurudwara, Singh met a group of elderly men who used to go on a run together. He also met Hermander Singh, who went to become his coach.

He said, “If I did not meet Hermander Singh, I would not have found running in the marathon,” he said in June.

Singh made his debut in the London Marathon in 2000, which was 89 years old. He participated through a golden bond entry – a system where the donation bought a certain number of spots for a fee. He chose to run for Bliss, a donation that supports infants prematurely. Their tagline: “The oldest running for the youngest! They can live until then.”

Singh says that before the run, he was told by the events of the event that he could only wear a patka (a headgier worn by many Sikh boys and men) and not a turban.

“I refused to run without my turban. Finally, the organizers allowed me to run with it, and for me, this is my biggest achievement,” he said.

He completed the race in six hours and 54 minutes, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey.

With his third gradual appearance in the London marathon, he shaved his previous best to nine minutes.

In 2003, in the Toronto Waterfront marathon, he surprisingly improved his time for one hour and five minutes, which completed the race in five hours and 40 minutes.

Singh said in June, “I don’t remember my timing; this is my coach, a harmander Singh, who keeps a record of all my time. But everything I have achieved is due to his training, and I honestly followed his program.”

He said, “In London, he used to run me upwards, and because of this, I kept rectifying,” he said. “After every training session in almost London, I used to go to the gurudwara, where my diet was taken care of. Everyone there inspired me to cover a long distance.”

Singh shot international fame in 2003 when Adidas signed him to sign in impossible advertising campaign for nothing, showing legends like Muhammad Ali.

In 2005, he was invited by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan to participate in the Lahore Marathon inaugurated. A year later, in 2006, he received a special invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for a visit to Buckingham Palace.

There is a frame made with Rani in several souvenirs and certificates displayed at Singh’s house in Punjab.

He continued to compete well in the marathon in his 100s and earned the nickname “Turban Tornado”. Most of his earnings from endorsement went directly to charitable foundation.

He said, “Before I enter the running world, I was the same Fauja Singh – but the running gave my life a mission and gave me global recognition,” he said.

In 2013, he participated in his last long -range competitive race in Hong Kong, completing 10 km runs in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

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

He said, “Eating less, running more, and being happy – this is the secret behind my long life. This is my message.”

In his last years, Singh divided his time between India, where his younger son lives, and Britain.

When the BBC met him in June, he was hoping to go to London soon to meet his family and coach.

British MP Preet Kaur Gill shared a picture of herself with her on X, wrote: “In fact an inspirational man. His discipline, simple life and deep humility left a permanent mark on me.”

Jas Ethwal MP said that Singh “inspired millions of people worldwide”. He wrote on X: “His soul and the legacy of flexibility will last forever.”

Additional Reporting by Pardeep Sharma