| Fauja Singh | |
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Fauja Singh (2007) |
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| Born | April 1, 1911 Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India |
| Occupation | Marathon runner |
Fauja Singh (born April 1, 1911) is a British centenarian marathon runner of Indian Sikh origin. He is a world record holder in his age bracket. His current personal best time for the London Marathon (2003) is 6 hours 2 minutes,[1] and his marathon record, for age 90-plus, is 5 hours 40 minutes, at the age of 92, at the 2003 Toronto Waterfront Marathon.[2][3]
Singh has stated, "I won't stop running until I die. The next target, God willing, is to be the oldest marathon runner ever."[4] and, "At the time when people start retiring, I thought of running at the age of 63...and today I won the marathon at 93 years of age."
In 2004, Singh was featured in an advertising campaign for sportswear manufacturer Adidas alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
Singh holds UK records for the 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, mile and 3000 m for his age group, records all set within a single 94 minute period.[5][6][7]
At the age of 100 (and a half), Singh attempted and accomplished eight world age group records in one day, at the special Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet, held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Timed by officials in Canada,[8] He ran the 100 metres in 23.14, 200 metres in 52.23, the 400 metres in 2:13.48, the 800 metres in 5:32.18, the 1500 metres in 11:27.81, the mile in 11:53.45, the 3000 metres in 24:52.47 and the 5000 metres in 49:57.39. Each time bested the previous record in that age division (some events had no previous record holder, as nobody over age 100 had ever attempted to run the distance). Some of his marks are significantly superior to the listed world record in the M95 age group as well.[9]
Three days later, on October 16, 2011, Singh became the first 100 year old to complete a marathon, running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8:11:06.[10] As it took him over 14 minutes after the gun to cross the starting line, the official time submitted for the age group record will be 8:25:17.[11] However, Guinness World Records refused to include Singh in its record book due to the fact that he could not produce his birth certificate to prove his age. Birth records were not kept in India in 1911.[12] He was able to produce a passport listing his date of birth as April 1, 1911, and a letter from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating him on his 100th birthday.[13]
In October 2011, Singh, a vegetarian, became the oldest man to be featured in a PETA campaign.[14]
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Fauja Singh was born in Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India on April 1, 1911. Not much is known about his early life. He lived with his wife in his village in Jalandhar, and moved to London in 1992 to live with his son after his wife’s death. He speaks only Punjabi and cannot read or write.[2][15] The death of his son Kuldip and earlier of his wife forced him to search for a worthwhile alternative in life. Fauja's jogging skills were developed on an Indian farm in Punjab, and then at the age of 81, after moving to the UK, his love for the sport became more "serious".[1]
At 89 years, he took seriously to running and ended up in international marathon events. When he first turned up for training at Redbridge, Essex, he was dressed in a three-piece suit. The coach had to rework everything, including his dress. Singh ran his first race, the London Marathon, in 2000.[15] Singh shot to fame when, at the age of 89, he completed the gruelling 26.2 mile distance in 6 hours and 54 minutes. This knocked 58 minutes off the previous world best for anyone in the 90-plus age bracket.[2]
Singh is 172 cm (5ft8in) tall and weighs 52kg (115lb). He attributes his physical fitness and longevity to abstaining from smoking and alcohol and to following a simple vegetarian diet.[16] He has been quoted as saying "I am very careful about different foods. My diet is simple phulka, dal, green vegetables, yoghurt and milk. I do not touch parathas, pakoras, rice or any other fried food. I take lots of water and tea with ginger. ... I go to bed early taking the name of my Rabba as I don’t want all those negative thoughts crossing my mind."[2]
Speaking about the marathon, he said: "The first 20 miles are not difficult. As for last six miles, I run while talking to God."[2]
His biography, titled "Turbaned Tornado", was formally released in the Attlee Room of Britain's House of Lords on July 7, 2011 by Lord Anthony Young of Norwood Green and retired British Supreme Court judge Sir Mota Singh. The 114-page book, penned by journalist and writer Khushwant Singh, traces the runner's roots and tries to capture his life's journey, understanding the impact of Fauja on the world around him. [17][15]
On November 13, 2003, Singh was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition Organization, a group that advocates ethnic pride and tolerance. William Fugazy, the chairman of the coalition, said Singh is a symbol of racial tolerance, and his running helps bridge the gap created by the September 11 terrorist attacks. "He is the greatest inspiration," said Fugazy, and added that Singh was the first non-American to receive the honour.[18]
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