Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911
\n NEW DELHI
\nIndia\u2019s Fauja Singh, believed to be the world\u2019s oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday.
\nSingh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the \u201cTurbaned Tornado\u201d, died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state\u2019s Jalandhar district on Monday.
\n\u201cMy Turbaned Tornado is no more,\u201d Fauja\u2019s biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X.
\n\u201cHe was struck by an unidentified vehicle… in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja.\u201d
\nSingh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911.
\nHe ran full marathons (42 kilometre) till the age of 100.
\nHis last race was a 10-kilometre (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.
\nHe became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television.
\nAlthough widely regarded as the world\u2019s oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011.
\nSingh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
\nHis strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet \u201claddu\u201d packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd.
\nIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media.
\n\u201cFauja Singh was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness,\u201d said Modi on X
\n\u201cHe was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911 NEW DELHI India\u2019s Fauja Singh, believed to be the world\u2019s oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday. Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the \u201cTurbaned Tornado\u201d, died after being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":490549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-490571","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n