Fauja Singh (in red) insists age is just a state of mind
It’s fair to say that Fauja Singh came to distance running later in life. At the age of 89, when most men are shuffling off this mortal coil, Singh instead shuffled around the London Marathon.
The next 11 years would take in a total of nine marathons, the last of which, the 2011 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, he completed at 100 years of age. Singh retired from competitive races in 2013 after completing a 10K in Hong Kong. But he continues to walk everyday in east London, calling exercise his “medication”.
A Slow start
Singh was born in Beas Pind, British India, in 1911 – the youngest of four children. Initially, he did not seem destined to become a record-breaking distance runner. Indeed, he did not develop the ability to walk until has was five years old, due to his thin and weak legs. As he developed into a young adult, however, Singh became an avid runner, although by 1947 he’d hung up his trainers again – seemingly for good.
After a 54-year absence, Singh returned to running following the death of his wife and his son. Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “Running was God’s way of distracting me from suffering mentally from the loss of my wife and son.” His renewed interest in running saw him venture to Redbridge, Essex, to train with the local running club. Unaccustomed to the latest running apparel, Singh turned up to his first training session in a three-piece suit. He was equally confused about the marathon distance: according to his coach at the time, Singh thought it was 26.2K rather than 26.2 miles. After he realised his error, he started to train more seriously.
Completing the London Marathon that year, Singh returned to the same race 12 months later, finishing in a time of 6:54. This knocked 58 minutes off the previous world record in the 90-plus bracket and made Singh an overnight success. More marathons followed, with his best time coming at the 2003 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which he completed in 5:40. On the back of his success, Singh, along with a handful of other ageing Sikh runners, helped to establish ‘Sikhs in the City’. The running club is now well established, with its members running marathons around the world. His 2011 biography, Turbaned Tornado, tells the story of his upbringing, his decision to embrace running at a later age, and the secret to his longevity. He was also, at 101, part of the Olympic torch relay in the run-up to London 2012.
food for thought
Asked about how he’s managed to stay so healthy, Singh cites his vegetarian diet. This consists largely of phulka, dal, green vegetables, yogurt, milk and ginger tea, and the complete rejection of fried food. His healthy approach to eating has also helped to keep his bodyweight down. Singh weighs a mere 53kg, a similar weight to many of the elite East African marathoners. Sing’s faith has also been crucial to his marathon success. “The first 20 miles are not difficult,” he said. “As for the last six, I run while talking to God.”
And as for running a marathon as an old man? “I do not consider myself to be old,” he told The Guardian. “From the moment I do that, I would lose everything, because age is a state of mind – as long as you’re positive, you can do anything.”
