Fauja Singh’s life that outran time
The Tribune Editorial: The Guinness World Records denied him the title of the first centenarian to complete a marathon due to lack of a birth certificate from 1911, but Fauja needed no parchment to prove his worth.
Updated At : 05:58 AM Jul 16, 2025 IST
Fauja Singh. File
FAUJA Singh wasn’t just a marathoner. He was a metaphor for the triumph of human will over the tyranny of time. At 114, his tragic death in a hit-and-run accident in his native Jalandhar ended a life that had already defied the limits of age, endurance and spirit. Fauja began running at the improbable age of 89. In the decades that followed, he ran nine full marathons and became an icon of resilience. From London to Toronto, the ‘Turbaned Tornado’ not only clocked miles, but also clocked milestones. He became, at 100, the first centenarian to complete a marathon. Guinness World Records denied him the title due to lack of a birth certificate from 1911, but Fauja needed no parchment to prove his worth.
