Fauja Singh facts for kids
Singh in 2007
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Turbaned Tornado Running Baba Sikh Superman |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | Beas Pind, Punjab, British India |
| Years active | 2000–2013 |
| Height | 1.72 m |
| Weight | 53 kilograms (117 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sport | Marathon |
| Retired | 24 February 2013 |
| Updated on 20 April 2023. | |
Fauja Singh BEM is a British Sikh man who became famous as a marathon runner. He is known for running marathons at a very old age! People sometimes call him the "Turbaned Tornado," "Running Baba," or "Sikh Superman." He has set many world records for older age groups, even though some of his times were not officially recognized. His best time for the London Marathon was 6 hours and 2 minutes in 2003. He also ran a marathon in 5 hours and 40 minutes when he was said to be 92 years old.
Contents
The Amazing Runner: Fauja Singh
His Early Life
Fauja Singh was born in a place called Beas Pind in British India on April 1, 1911. He was the youngest of four children. When he was very young, his legs were weak, and he couldn't walk until he was five years old. Because of this, some people used to tease him and call him "danda," which means "stick" in Punjabi.
As a young man, Fauja Singh loved to run for fun. However, he stopped running when India was divided into two countries in 1947.
Finding His Passion Again
Fauja Singh faced some very sad times in his life. After losing his wife in 1992 and his fifth son in 1994, he decided to find a new purpose. He moved to England in the 1990s and started living with one of his sons in Ilford.
At 89 years old, he decided to get serious about running again and started training for international marathon events. When he first went to training, he was wearing a formal suit! His coach helped him get the right clothes and taught him how to train properly. Fauja Singh ran his first London Marathon in 2000. He thought a marathon was only 26 kilometers, but it's actually much longer (about 42 kilometers or 26 miles)! Once he realized this, he trained even harder.
When he was 93, Singh finished a marathon in 6 hours and 54 minutes. This was much faster than the previous world record for people over 90. In 2004, he was even featured in an advertisement for the sports company Adidas, appearing alongside famous athletes like David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
Running at 100 and Beyond
At 100 years old, Fauja Singh achieved eight world records for his age group in just one day! This special event happened in Toronto, Canada. He ran different distances, including 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, one mile, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters. For some of these distances, no one over 100 had ever tried to run them before, so he set the very first records!
Just three days later, in October 2011, Singh was said to be the first 100-year-old to finish a full marathon. He completed the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8 hours, 11 minutes, and 6 seconds.
His life story was written in a book called Turbaned Tornado. It was released in London in 2011. In the same year, Fauja Singh, who is a vegetarian, became the oldest person to be part of a campaign for PETA, an animal rights group.
In 2013, just before his 102nd birthday, Fauja Singh announced that he would stop running in competitive races after the Hong Kong marathon. He finished the 10-kilometer race in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds. He said he would still run for fun, to stay healthy, and to help charities.
Life After Competitive Running
As of 2023, Fauja Singh no longer runs himself. However, he still loves to cheer on other marathon runners at events.
What He Eats and How He Lives
Fauja Singh is about 1.72 meters (5 feet 8 inches) tall and weighs around 52 kilograms (115 pounds). He believes that his good health and long life come from not smoking or drinking alcohol. He also follows a simple vegetarian diet.
He has said, "I am very careful about different foods. My diet is simple phulka (a type of flatbread), dal (lentils), green vegetables, yogurt, and milk. I do not eat parathas, pakoras, rice, or any other fried food. I drink a lot of water and tea with ginger. I go to bed early thinking about God, so I don't have any negative thoughts."
When talking about running marathons, he once said, "The first 20 miles are not difficult. As for the last six miles, I run while talking to God."
"Sikhs in the City" Running Group
Fauja Singh is the oldest member of a group of Sikhs who call themselves "Sikhs in the City." This group is based in East London and runs marathons all over the world. They run with people from different faiths and raise money for charities that Fauja Singh supports.
Awards and Honors
Fauja Singh has received many awards for his amazing achievements:
- In 2003, he was given the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in the United States. This award celebrates people who show ethnic pride and help bring different groups together. He was the first non-American to receive this honor.
- In 2011, a group in the UK gave him the "Pride of India" title.
- In July 2012, he had the special honor of carrying the Olympic torch before the London Olympic Games.
- In 2015, he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by the British government for his contributions to sports and charity.
His Running Achievements
Here are some of the races Fauja Singh completed:
- Marathons run: London (6), Toronto (2), New York (1)
- His first marathon: London, 2000, at age 89
- London Flora Marathon 2000: 6 hours 54 minutes
- London Flora Marathon 2001: 6 hours 54 minutes
- London Flora Marathon 2002: 6 hours 45 minutes
- Bupa Great North Run (Half Marathon) 2002: 2 hours 39 minutes
- London Flora Marathon 2003: 6 hours 2 minutes
- Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2003: 5 hours 40 minutes (his best marathon time)
- New York City Marathon 2003: 7 hours 35 minutes
- London Flora Marathon 2004: 6 hours 7 minutes
- Glasgow City Half Marathon 2004: 2 hours 33 minutes
- Capital Radio Help a London Child 10,000 meters 2004: 1 hour 8 minutes
- Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon 2004: 2 hours 29 minutes 59 seconds
- Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2011: 8 hours 11 minutes 0 seconds
- London Marathon 2012: 7 hours 49 minutes 21 seconds
- Hong Kong Marathon (10 kilometers) 2012: 1 hour 34 minutes (he raised $25,800 for charity)
- parkrun UK 2012 – Age graded record holder: 179.04% with a time of 38 minutes 34 seconds
- Hong Kong Marathon (10 kilometers) 2013: 1 hour 32 minutes 28 seconds
