Fauja Singh: On April 1, 2023, Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathon runner and world record holder in multiple age categories, will turn 112. (Saturday). Fauja was born in 1911 in the village of Beas Pind in Jalandhar, Punjab, British India. He was skinny and sick as a child and was often teased and bullied by other children, who called him “danda,” a Punjabi term meaning “thin or stick.” Fauja could not walk until he was five years old, and even after he could walk, he could not walk for long distances. He had hoped to become a runner when he grew up, but had to abandon that ambition due to the freedom struggle. And it wasn’t until the construction accident that claimed the life of his fifth son that Fauja rekindled his desire to become a runner. Let’s examine some interesting facts about the Turbaned Tornado on his birthday.
Fauja Singh Bio:
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Fauja Singh |
| Nickname | Turbaned Tornado, Running Baba, Sikh Superman |
| Profession | Farmer (When he was in India) Marathon Runner (Retired) |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | centimeters– 172 cm meters– 1.72 m feet inches– 5’ 8” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 53 kg in pounds– 117 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Grey |
| Track and Field | |
| Debut | London Marathon (Year 2000) |
| Coach/Mentor | Harmander Singh |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 1 April 1911 |
| Age (as in 2023 | 112 Years |
| Birth Place | Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Aries |
| Nationality | British |
| Hometown | Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India |
| School | Not Known |
| College | Not Known |
| Educational Qualification | Not Known |
| Family | Father– Name Not Known Mother– Bhago Kaur Siblings– 4 (Name Not Known) |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Hobbies | Running & Excercising |
| Girls, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife/Spouse | Gian Kaur |
| Marriage Date | Year 1962 |
| Children | Sons–
Harwinder Singh Kuldip Singh (Died in 1994) Sukhjinder Singh Daughters– 3 (Name Not Known) |
One of Fauja’s five sons, who resided in England, took his father and settled in London as Fauja grew older and became more emotionally burdened by the loss of his wife. Here, Fauja ran his first race, the London Marathon, which gave his bereaved life a new lease on life.
Apparently, when Fauja first met his athletic coach and former marathon runner Harmander Singh, he was wearing a three-piece suit. Fauja Singh ran his first marathon at the age of 93 and completed it in 6 hours and 54 minutes, breaking the previous record by 58 seconds.
Origination of Fauja Singh:
Fauja Singh was born on April 1, 1911 in Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, then part of British India. He was the youngest child of four in a farming family.
Fauja Singh did not have an easy childhood. His family believed he was disabled because he could not walk until he was five years old. Due to his thin and feeble legs, he had difficulty walking long distances. As a young man, he began farming to provide for his family.
After his wife Gian Kaur’s passing in Jalalabad in 1992, he moved to England and settled in East London with his son.
Biopic on centenarian marathoner Fauja Singh (Ld)
How did Fauja Singh take up running:
In August of 1994, Fauja Singh began running after the death of his fifth son, Kuldip. He initially began jogging to overcome his grief.
Fauja Singh did not decide to begin running seriously until the year 2000, when he was 89 years old. The following year, he completed his first full marathon, the London Marathon, in 6 hours and 54 minutes. In doing so, he shaved 58 minutes off the previous world record in the 90-plus age category.
Fauja Singh has not looked back since then. The British-Indian athlete has competed in marathons in New York, Toronto, and Mumbai. Harminder Singh, his personal trainer, closely monitored him throughout his career.
Fauja Singh improved upon his personal best by finishing the 2003 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 5 hours and 40 minutes in the ‘over 90’ category.
Fauja Singh, also known as the Turbaned Tornado, has participated in numerous marathons to raise funds for various charities and promote the Sikh culture around the world.
In 2011, at the Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet, held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Canada, Fauja Singh, at the age of 100, broke eight world age-group records in a single day.
The run was timed by Canadian officials. On a single day, Fauja Singh ran the 100m in 23.14 seconds, the 200m in 52.23 seconds, the 400m in 2:13.48 seconds, the 800m in 5:32.18 seconds, the 1500m in 11:27.81 seconds, the mile in 11:53.45 seconds, the 3000m in 24:52.47 seconds, and the 5000m in 49:57.39 seconds, resetting five world records for his age group.
No one his age had attempted the remaining three records, so they had no previous scores. Several of his scores surpassed the existing records for the age group of 95-year-olds.
A few obscure facts about Fauja Singh:
- Fauja Singh was born in Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India on April 1, 1911.
- The world’s oldest runner, Fauja Singh, was the first 100-year-old to complete a marathon.
- In 2004, Fauja Singh appeared alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali in an advertisement campaign for the sportswear manufacturing giant Adidas.
- Singh ran a marathon in 6 hours and 54 minutes at the age of 93, a world record for anyone aged 90 or older.
- Fauja Singh holds British age-group records for 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, one mile, and 3000 metres.
- Fauja Singh set eight world age-group records in a single day at the age of 100.
- The British Empire Medal (BEM) was awarded to Fauja Singh in 2015 for his contributions to sports and charity.
Since then, Singh has established age-group records in the 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, and 3000m. Interestingly, Fauja Singh breaks all of these marathon records in a single race. In 8 hours, 11 minutes, and 17 seconds, he became the first 100-year-old to finish a marathon when he completed the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
Biopic on centenarian marathoner Fauja Singh to become movie
