The world's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, has died: he was hit by a car in India at the age of 114
Kyiv • UNN
Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathon runner, died at the age of 114 in India after being hit by a car. He started running at 89, finished nine marathons, and was a torchbearer at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Fauja Singh, known as the world's oldest marathon runner, died in India at the age of 114 after being hit by a car. The legendary athlete, who started running at 89 and finished nine marathons, inspired millions with his example, writes UNN with reference to BBC.
Details
According to police, Singh "was crossing a road in the village where he was born in Punjab when he was hit by an unknown vehicle." Local residents took him to the hospital, where he died.
The incident occurred on Monday, July 14, when the centenarian was walking through his native village of Beas Pind, near Jalandhar.
The search is ongoing, and the accused will be caught soon
Following the news of the marathon runner's death, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him "an exceptional athlete with incredible determination."
Fauja Singh's coach at the Sikhs In The City club and the charity "Sikhs in the City" will dedicate all their events for Fauja Singh's birthday celebration on Sunday, March 29, 2026, to celebrating his life's success and achievements.
We will redouble our efforts to raise funds for the construction of the Fauja Singh club on the route in Ilford, where he once trained
Addition
Singh, a torchbearer at the 2012 London Olympics, achieved several significant successes throughout his running career, including reportedly becoming the first centenarian athlete to complete a full marathon in 2011 in Toronto.
Singh debuted in the London Marathon in 2000, a month before his 89th birthday, and ran nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013, when he retired.
However, his claim to be the world's oldest marathon runner was not recognized by the Guinness Book of Records, as he could not produce a birth certificate from 1911.
His coach, Harmander Singh, said that birth certificates were not issued in India at the time of Singh's birth. However, the BBC reported that Singh's British passport stated his date of birth as April 1, 1911, and that he had a letter from the Queen congratulating him on his 100th birthday.