A man believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner has died at 114 years of age after being hit by a car.
Runner Fauja Singh was jogging on the side of the road in the village of Beas Pind, India, on Monday, when tragedy struck. According to TMZ, he was hit by a car as he tried to cross a road. He later died of his injuries at a local hospital.
The famed runner’s son, Harvinder, told the media that the driver who hit Fauja took off and did not wait for the police. An investigation has been launched.
The victim’s running club, Sikhs In The City, said in a statement that “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our icon of humanity and powerhouse of positivity, Fauja Singh, has passed away in India.”
The group added that they would continue to raise money to build a Fauja Singh clubhouse.
Singh made international news when he ran his very first marathon in London in 2000, at the age of 89. He finished the race in six hours and 54 minutes.
He continued to run and earned the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Pride of India title, and the British Empire Medal. And he also had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch in 2004 and 2012.
Singh retired from marathons in 2013, but he still exercised regularly, followed a vegetarian diet, and abstained from tobacco and alcohol.
The only reason the Guinness Book of World Records did not officially recognize him is that he could not produce an official birth certificate, as such records do not exist for the place and time of his birth.
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