Fauja Singh, World’s Oldest Marathoner, Cremated with State Honours

One of the oldest runners who ever lived called the Turbaned Tornado by Fauja Singh, was cremated in his ancestral village Beas in Jalandhar district of Punjab, with all state honours. He died at the age of 114 years after getting hit by an SUV on his way to work when crossing the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway on July 14. CM of Punjab Bhagwant Mann, Governor of Punjab Gulab Chand Kataria, and other leaders attended his funeral. The final rites were done by his son Harvinder Singh and a gun salute paid by the Punjab Police. Fauja Singh had won the inspirational marathon career until well into his 100s.

Context:

• Fauja Singh was a Canadian citizen, who became an inspiration to millions of people having run the marathons at the age of 100

•  He has come to represent health, discipline and fighting spirit, especially to the Sikh and the Punjabi diaspora.

•  He was an example of strength of the human will and had mixed records as the oldest marathon runner on record.

Life and Legacy of Fauja Singh

• Year of birth: 1911 (officially recorded 1911), April 1

• Nickname: The Turbaned Tornado

• Marathon Career: Began running marathons when he was 89 years old and finished a marathon in Toronto Waterfront at the age of 100

• Retirement: Ran in his final competitive race in 2013 at the age of 102

• Acknowledgments: appearances in Adidas commercials, Olympic torch bearer of London 2012 London 2012, and the topic of documentaries and biographies

State Honours and Cremation

• Birth place: Beas, Punjab (home town in Jalandhar)

• Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Minister Mohinder Bhagat and others were the attendees.

• Presentation of gun salute by Punjab Police

• The funeral pyre was lit by Son Harvinder Singh

Childhood and Early life

• Born: Beas Pind, Jalandhar, April 1, 1911, Punjab (then British India).

• Early Difficulties: Could not walk until 5: Weak, frail shaped legs during childhood.

• Occupation: Farmer by profession and came to the UK in 1992 following the death of his wife.

Journey into running

• Beginning of Running: Began jogging at age 89 as a method of adaptation to the fact that his son had died in 1994.

• Career debut: At the age of 89 in 2000 he entered competitive running when he completed the London Marathon in 6 hrs 54 min.

Marathon Achievements

• Toronto 2011: Completed a full marathon at age 100 and took 8 hrs 11 min to complete (not officially recognised as there was no birth certificate); Set age group record (ages 96-109) in marathon-torch-relay race, most suitable category available (also set age group world record in half-marathon in 2007 in age category 96-109 years).

• It was a Personal Best of 5 hrs 40 mins at the 2003 Toronto Waterfront marathon, at the age of 92.

• World Records: Established 8 age-group world records in a single day (100m, 400m and 5000m) on August 9, 2011, in the Birchmount Stadium, Canada.

• Retirement: Finally retired in 2013 at the age of 101, after a 10 km race in Hong Kong.

Notable Marathons

• London Marathons 2000-2004: He has given remarkable performances, time below 7 hours.

• 2003 New York City marathon: 7 hrs 35 min.

• 2012 London Marathon - 7:49.

• Hong Kong Marathons (10 km): ran this distance in 1 hr 34 min (2012) and 1 hr 32 min (2013).

Biopic and Literature

• Turbaned Tornado by Khushwant Singh published in 2011.

• Biopic: Fauja, directed by Omung Kumar B was announced in 2021.

Rewards and Incentives

• Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2003): This was given to her as the first non-American because she upheld racial tolerance.

• Pride of India (2011): Honoured as an inspiration to the country.

• Olympic Torchbearer: Olympic torchbearer carrying the Olympic torch in the London 2012 Olympics.

• PETA Campaign: Vintage man with the history-first man to appear in PETA advertising campaign; endorsed vegetarianism.

• Ad Campaigns: Appeared in an advertisement campaign of a big sport brand featuring David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.

Death

• Death date: July 14, 2025, (age 114), he was struck by a car in his birthplace village in Punjab.

Conclusion

Fauja Singh has experienced a story which is about endurance, resilience, and positivity. He transcended age limits and motivated generations with his infallible nature and simplistic way of life. His death is a loss of an era yet he will always remain a source of inspiration to other athletes and dreamers the world over.