Hong Kong, 24 February 2013. A man believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner has completed his last long distance competitive race in Hong Kong.
Fauja Singh, who is 101 years old and from east London, finished the Hong Kong 10km (6.25 mile) event in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.
He ran his first London marathon in 2000 and went on to compete in a further eight marathons.
Ben Ando reports.
To see the Fauja Singh video click on the link below
Fauja Singh in Hong Kong, Tribune photo
Hong Kong, 25 February 2013. Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathon runner, retired at the age of 101 from competitive events as a “very happy” man as he finished his last race here on Sunday.
Singh, nicknamed the “Turbaned Tornado,” finished the Hong Kong Marathon’s 10-kilometre race in 1 hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. But he could not meet his goal of beating his personal record.
“I’m very happy. When I was running I felt very good, but now that I’ve stopped, I’m tired,” the India-born British national, who only speaks Punjabi, said.
Singh, who turns 102 on April 1, became the oldest man to run a full marathon at Toronto in 2011. But his record was not recognised by Guinness World Records because he doesn’t have a birth certificate to prove his age, only a passport.
Singh, who was a farmer in Punjab before settling in England, has competed in nine 26-mile marathons in London, Toronto and New York. His best time was in Toronto, where he clocked five hours, 40 minutes and four seconds.
Singh says he does not suffer from any ailments. A torch-bearer for the 2012 Olympics, his one regret is not being able to speak and read English. In 1999, at the age of 89, he decided to run marathons for charities. His first charity was for premature babies and he billed himself as the oldest person running for the youngest. (PTI)
http://www.asianage.com/india/fauja-singh-stops-101-says-he-tired-181
Britain’s Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathon runner, has announced that he is finally going to retire at the ripe old age of 101 – but not until one more 26-mile effort.
The superfit Indian-born athlete, who lives in Ilford, has picked the Hong Kong marathon next month as his last hurrah, which takes place just five weeks before his 102nd birthday.
However, Singh, who ran the first of his eight marathons as an 89-year-old, says that this does not mean he is about to throw away his running shoes.
“I will keep running for at least four hours daily after that,” Singh told the Times of India newspaper during a visit to the land of his birth.
“Running is my life. I will keep running to inspire the masses.”
Singh, nicknamed ‘The Turban Tornado’, has a personal best of five hours, 40 minutes, set back in 2003, making him the world record holder at the distance for a man aged 90 or over.
Last year Singh completed his fifth London marathon in a time of seven hours and 49 minutes and was rewarded with a spot as an Olympic torch bearer.
Singh, born in India in 1911, received a telegram from the Queen for reaching his 100th birthday two years ago, but only took up running seriously at the age of 88.
So just how does he stay so fit as a centenarian?
“The reason for my good health is that I exercise daily and follow a proper diet regime,” he says.
“I take happiness in biggest proportions though my actual diet is very small.
“Nowadays, people are more interested in going to a gym, but I feel that if they exercise regularly on their own they can be physically and mentally strong.
“Daily exercise will keep you away from all diseases.”
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/one-more-marathon-101-old-briton-111414255.html
101 year old Fauja Singh
Tribune News Service
Patiala, January 24. Punjabi University will award lifetime fellowship to veteran athlete Fauja Singh (101), the oldest marathon runner in the world. Vice Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh announced this during the inauguration of a three-day international conference on “Futuristic Trends in Physical Education” here today.
While Olympian Brig Labh Singh was the chief guest, Fauja Singh and Beijing Olympics bronze medalist Vijender Singh were special guests. Brig Labh Singh said with the increasing reach of TV channels and internet and the emerging of nuclear families, children were being ignored, both at homes and at schools.
London, 22 July 2012. Punjab-born centenarian Fauja Singh, who defies age to run marathons, drew the loudest cheers on Saturday, as the Olympic Torch was carried by him, Olympic medal winners, and leading individuals through London, amidst a welcome, clear sky and sunshine.
Clad in all-white apparel and a matching white turban, the sprightly Singh carried the torch, accompanied by hundreds of admirers, including Sikhs with yellow t-shirts bearing Singh’s image, who hailed him every moment of the distance he travelled.
Mr. Singh was born in 1911, and began running at 86 to keep himself occupied.
He has since set several records for people of his age, running six London marathons, two Canada marathons, and the New York marathon.
Clearly a sensation for his achievements, his participation in the relay was described by admirers and onlookers as “a moment of history.”
Mr. Singh, who carried the Olympics Torch in Athens eight years ago, now wants to carry it before the 2016 Olympics too, when he will be 105.
Hundreds of Sikhs organised a ‘langar’ at 16 points along the torch relay route to celebrate Mr. Singh’s efforts.
The torch from Greenwich to Waltham Forest was carried by several Olympians, including Nadia Comaneci, and Indian-origin individuals who have excelled in various fields, such as Kaushali Trivedi (23), Natasha Sinha (15), Priya Rajgor (20), and Drashti Shah (16). The relay’s youngest and oldest were among the 143 torchbearers on Saturday. (PTI)
Varinder Singh, Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 15. While Fauja Singh, 101-year-old marathon runner, will the star attraction on July 21 as the oldest torch-bearer on the 64th day of the London Olympics Torch Relay at Newham, Sikhs from all over the world would serve “langar” along the route of the torch relay.
To show the importance of community food, the United Sikhs, a Sikh organisation, said free vegetarian food would be served to people along the 30-mile Olympic Torch Relay route. The motive of serving langar was to show the world as to how community food brings people from all walks of life together for the welfare of the mankind.
Wearing yellow T-shirts, specially designed with Fauja Singh’s image, each of the volunteers from the Sikh community and those invited from multiple faiths and backgrounds would join hands to serve free meals, said Mejinder Pal Kaur, the project director of the Langar-2012 in a statement.
Maninder [Mejinderpal ?] said there would be several langar service points in each of the five boroughs and each of these points would be serving at least 1,000 vegetarian roti rolls within two hours.
The “veg roti roll langar” would reach thousands of people who would turn up to cheer the torch reached Newham, where Fauja Singh would carry the torch.
By Dil Neiyyar BBC Asian Network
A man believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner says this Sunday’s London Marathon will be his last.
But 101-year-old Fauja Singh, from Ilford, east London, will not be hanging up his running shoes just yet.
He intends to compete in what he calls “short races” of 5km and 10km.
His trainer Harmander Singh said: “I believe it’s probably best that this is the last. I don’t think he has anything else to prove.”
Speaking in Punjabi, Fauja Singh said: “I’m very excited. But I’m worried I could get flu or something like that before then. So I can’t wait for Sunday to come.”
His coach believes he is in good shape for the 26.2-mile run and is hoping Fauja Singh clocks up a good time.
The London Marathon has a special significance for the great-grandfather as he was inspired to take up the sport after watching television coverage, 12 years ago when he was 89.
‘Best trainee ever’
His coach said: “I only had 10 weeks to train him for his first marathon. He turned up the first day in a three piece suit and a pair of trainers.
“But he soon got his decent gear and we haven’t looked back.
“Turning him into a marathon runner was one of the easiest jobs I ever had because he was so keen on doing it.
“If I said we’re doing 10k today he would say why not 20k? (He’s) the best trainee I have ever had.”
Fauja Singh has run a total of eight marathons including the London and New York races.
He has enjoyed every one of them but the one that stands out more than the others is the Toronto marathon.
That is when he raced himself into the record books as the world’s oldest marathon runner.
Fauja Singh’s remarkable story has left many people scratching their heads. How can someone his age run 26.2 miles?
Some have even begun to question his age because he does not have a birth certificate.
But Harmander Singh believes the criticism is unfair: “Fauja Singh was born in India at a time when there were no birth certificates.
“He has a British passport and we’ve had letters from Her Majesty on his 100th birthday. The Olympics would use the passport as a definitive document.”
Many people in the running world think critics are missing the point. A marathon is tough whatever your age.
Mike Gratton, a 1983 London Marathon winner, said: “I think everybody is absolutely astounded that somebody of his age can still be doing any sort of sport.
“But to run a marathon, which for many people is the ultimate in endurance, is quite incredible.”
Others see Fauja Singh’s achievements as a sign of changing times and that society needs to re-think how it views older people.
Emma Spragg of Age UK said: “Everybody now in the UK, one in four of people born today, will live to be a 100. So there’s bound to be more people being active in later life. So why not keep challenging those boundaries.”
Although Fauja Singh is retiring from marathons after Sunday his coach believes his legacy will go on.
“Everyone who has come across him or heard about him… says if he can do it, we can do it. We have a saying ‘he is my granddad’. Well, he is everybody’s granddad.”
Fauja Singh and other veteran runners
Marathon running is fun !
I bet that the biblical good samaritan was not as glamorous as these two ladies
Fauja Singh, 101 year old, Will Sunday be his last marathon ?
Watch the BBC video below !
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue
Here’s a link to a video I have made for the BBC News website on Fauja Singh, the amazing 101-year-old Sikh marathon runner.
He runs his final marathon this Sunday. He is a truly remarkable guy and deserves a lot of recognition for his achievements.
Below the link to the video
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17765170
Dil Neiyyar
Reporter BBC
Fauja Singh and other ‘Sikhs in the City’ runners
Sangat TV is extremely proud of our 100 year old Fauja Singh who last week set 9 world records in Toronto.
A small team of volunteers from Birmingham had gone to join Fauja Singh and Sikhs in the City Team in Toronto to cover the event. We are extremely thankful to of these people.
You can view a small film at : http://www.youtube.com/sangattelevision
There will also be a documentary detailing his journey with MORE exclusive footage that we will be sharing with viewers of Sangat TV in the next few days.
Posted to my email account by Jagmohan Singh jagmohan@sangattrust.org
