The British Sikh marathon runner Fauja Singh, who has died aged 114 in a traffic accident, became known globally as the “Turbaned Tornado”. He was the first person over the age of 100 to complete a marathon when he ran the Toronto waterfront marathon in 2011. This achievement was not officially recognised by Guinness World Records as Fauja did not have a birth certificate, but his feat captured international attention.
His love for running came late in life when, at the age of 89, after seeing people running on television, he decided to give it a go. He ran his first marathon in London in 2000. He was deeply committed to charitable causes, and saw running as a spiritual act of Sewa (selfless service).
I first met Fauja around 13 years ago while hiking up Snowdon for a charity event with my parents. What stood out immediately was that he was wearing a suit and formal shoes, rather than trainers or sportswear, and despite the cold he was smiling warmly. We asked him how he had so much energy. He replied, “It’s all because of Waheguru,” meaning “wonderful God.”
Fauja was born in Beas Pind, a village in the Jalandhar districtof what was then British India. Birth certificates were not issued in Indian villages at the time, although he later registered for a passport, and it is thought he was born on 1 April 1911. His father, Mehr Singh, was a farmer, and his mother, Bhago Kaur, was a housewife. As a child, Fauja was extremely frail and struggled to walk until the age of five. Over time, he gained strength, although he did not go to school, and was able to work on the family farm. He married Gian Kaur and they had six children.
After her death in 1992, he emigrated to the UK to live with his son Sukhjinder in Ilford, east London, where running soon became his passion. He finished his first marathon in London in 6 hours, 54 minutes. When he completed the Toronto waterfront marathon in 2003 in 5 hours, 40 minutes, his personal best, the organisers were so surprised they re-measured the course, just in case.
Fauja regularly appeared at charity events. On one occasion, when I was volunteering with Nishkam SWAT in 2015, he spent time learning about the work we were doing to feed homeless people. When I mentioned that my father wanted to run a marathon and asked if it was hard, Fauja smiled and said: “The first 20 miles of a marathon are not difficult. The last six miles – I run while talking to God.”
He helped numerous charities, donating an endorsement fee from Adidas in 2004 to Bliss, which supports premature and sick babies. He was a man of deep faith, joy, humility and service.
Having travelled to India in 2019 shortly before the Covid pandemic began, he never returned to Britain but settled again in his home village of Beas Pind, where he lived with his son Harvinder.
He is survived by Sukhjinder and Harvinder, and by two daughters, 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
