The "Turbaned Tornado," Indian-born British runner Fauja Singh BEM, died at age 114 after being struck by a vehicle in his native village of Bias in Punjab, his biographer confirmed.
His biographer, Khushwant Singh, confirmed the news on X, writing: “My Turbaned Tornado is no more. He was struck by an unidentified vehicle in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja.”
Though Singh had no official birth certificate, his family said he was born on April 1, 1911. He began running competitively at 89 and completed several marathons until age 100. His final race was a 10K at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon, which he completed at 101.
He took up running after the deaths of his wife and son, inspired by watching marathons on TV. While widely celebrated as the oldest marathon runner, Guinness World Records did not recognise his achievement due to lack of verified age documentation, which Singh said was never issued in his village under British rule.
Singh was a torchbearer at both the Athens 2004 and London 2012 Olympics and appeared in ads with stars like David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
He credited his endurance to daily walks on farmland and a diet of home-churned curd and dry fruit laddus.
Indian PM Narendra Modi paid tribute on X, calling Singh “an exceptional athlete with incredible determination” who inspired youth on the importance of fitness. “Pained by his passing. My thoughts are with his family and admirers,” he wrote.
