Baba Fauja singh is gonna be on TV

[Balait_da_Sher]

MARATHON sensation Fauja Singh's world-beating antics stepped up a gear on Sunday when he smashed his own world record in Canada by an enormous 22 minutes.

The 92-year-old marvel from Ilford ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a world best for his 90-plus age group of five hours, 40 minutes and four seconds.

Mr Singh, of Lowbrook Road, surprised his trainers and support team by obliterating his previous best, set at this year's London Marathon, and becoming the first in his age group to eclipse the six hour mark.

His success in the 26-mile Toronto race delivered him celebrity status and after the race, the Indian-born devout Sikh told the gathered media through an interpreter: "I feel great and I'm really happy.

"My ambition was to knock off one of two minutes from the record. I wasn't expecting what I just accomplished."

The feat is the latest in a long line of world records for the great-grandfather, who is to appear in commercials for sportswear giant Adidas next year.

Trainer Harmander Singh, who could not make it to Toronto, said: "He was overjoyed because he was with his family. He had a number of people from his village in India there. They were really, really over the moon about him."

Since taking up marathon running at the age of 89, Fauja Singh has slashed more than two hours off the 90-plus world record.

And he shows no sign of stopping. He tackles his next marathon in New York in five wee

ks' time.

http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/archived/2...ws/marathon.asp