Legendary Global Marathon Icon Fauja Singh, 114, Dies in Tragic Highway Accident
On Monday, July 14, 2025, the world lost one of its most inspiring figures when Fauja Singh—affectionately known as the “Turbaned Tornado” and believed to be the oldest marathon runner ever—was struck by a car on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway in Punjab. Rushed to a nearby hospital with a severe head injury, Singh succumbed to his wounds later that evening, leaving behind a legacy that transcends sport.
Born on April 1, 1911, in the small village of Beas Pind near Jalandhar, Singh overcame the odds from the very beginning. As a child, he could not walk properly until age five and was often dismissed as frail. Yet through decades of hard work as a farmer—and despite enduring the heartache of losing his wife and son in the early 1990s—he discovered running as a means to heal.
In a remarkable twist of fate, Singh didn’t lace up his running shoes until he was 89. In 2000, he completed his first marathon in London, igniting a passion that would carry him around the globe. Over the next decade, he tackled nine full marathons—from Toronto and New York to Mumbai—shattering notions of age and physical limits with every stride. At 92, he clocked a personal best of 5:40:04 in the over-90 category at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
Singh’s most celebrated feat came in 2011 when, at 100 years old, he became the first centenarian ever to finish a marathon, crossing the Toronto finish line in just over eight hours. That same year, he set five age-group world records at a track meet in Canada. Though Guinness World Records declined to certify his achievements for lack of a birth certificate, his Indian passport firmly recorded his birth year—1911.
Beyond the stopwatch, Fauja Singh became a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, using his platform to champion charitable causes and embody the virtues of persistence and humility. He appeared in international campaigns alongside icons like David Beckham and Muhammad Ali and shared his story in the 2011 biography Turbaned Tornado.
In 2013, at the age of 102, Singh ran his final competitive race—a 10K in Hong Kong—before hanging up his racing shoes. Yet even in retirement, he continued to inspire new generations through interviews, appearances, and his enduring message: it’s never too late to start, and age is only a number.
Today, thousands mourn the passing of a man who taught the world that the human spirit knows no bounds. In Beas Pind and far beyond, Singh’s life will remain a testament to resilience, reminding us all that hope can be found on every path—no matter how long.
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