World’s oldest marathon runner, known as ‘Turbaned Torpedo,’ dies at 114 in hit-and-run

Fauja Singh, an British-Indian runner who was believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car on Monday in India, according to multiple reports.

He was 114.

Singh, nicknamed the “Turbaned Torpedo,” reportedly sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab.

He later died at a nearby hospital, per local reports.

Police said they are still searching for the driver.

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“A search is under way, and the accused will be caught soon,” Harvinder Singh, a top district police officer, said, according to BBC.

Singh’s London-based running club and charity, Sikhs in the City, confirmed his death in a statement on the club’s Facebook page on Monday.

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Harmander Singh, Fauja’s coach said Singh “succumbed to injuries caused by a vehicle accident while crossing the road close to his home.”

A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, shared his condolences, saying that Singh was an inspiration.

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“Fauja Singh Ji was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness,” Modi said Monday in a statement on X. “He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.”

Singh retired after he ran his last competitive race in 2013 at the age of 101, finishing the Hong Kong Marathon (10km) in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 28 seconds.

He was a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics.

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The year prior, he became the oldest runner to complete a full marathon at the age of 100, finishing the 2011 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8 hours and 11 minutes.

After running his first full marathon at the age of 89 in 2000, Singh went on to run eight more across London, Toronto and New York City.

His personal best time was in the 2003 Toronto Waterfront Marathon when he finished five hours and 40 minutes in the ‘over 90’ category.

Singh began running to cope with the grief after the deaths of his fifth son Kuldip in August 1994, and his wife Gian Kaur, according to Olympics.com

Singh’s family thought he was crippled as a child because he wasn’t able to walk until he was five years old due to thin and weak legs.