Fauja Singh, affectionately known as the "Turbaned Tornado," was a British-Indian marathon runner who captivated the world by shattering records and stereotypes well into his 100s.
Tragically, as of 2026, he is no longer with us. He passed away on July 14, 2025, at the age of 114 following a hit-and-run accident in his native village of Beas Pind, Punjab, India.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Fauja Singh's story is that he didn't take up running seriously until he was 89 years old. After the loss of his wife and son, he moved to London to live with his other children and turned to running as a way to cope with his grief.
First Marathon: Completed the London Marathon in 2000 at age 89.
World Record (90+): At age 92, he finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 5:40:04, the fastest time ever recorded for that age bracket.
The Centenarian Feat: In 2011, at age 100, he became the first person to complete a full marathon at that age, finishing in Toronto in just over 8 hours.
8 Records in One Day: Just three days before his 100th-birthday marathon, he set eight world age-group records in a single day (ranging from the 100m to the 5000m)
Fauja Singh attributed his longevity and stamina to a very specific, disciplined lifestyle:
Diet: He was a lifelong vegetarian and emphasized eating small portions of simple food, like dal, roti, and ginger tea.
Spirituality: As a devout Sikh, he often stated that he talked to God while running. He credited his mental strength to his faith and a "peaceful mind."
Humility: Despite being the face of Adidas campaigns alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali, he lived a modest life and donated much of his earnings to charity.
Though Guinness World Records famously declined to ratify his 100-year-old marathon record because he could not produce a birth certificate (common for those born in rural India in 1911), his impact was undeniable. He was a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics and was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2015.
His death in 2025 was met with global tributes from world leaders and the athletic community, celebrating a man who proved that "old age" is often just a state of mind.
