Fauja Singh - World's Oldest Marathon Runner Retires At 101

[FearlessSher]

Great inspiration to Sikhs and others, always be remembered

Article:

By Jay Singh-Sohal, Sky News Producer

The world's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, is
retiring after his final race in Hong Kong.

The 101-year-old said he felt sad quitting competitive
events but his age had finally caught up with him and he wanted to end on a
high.

Speaking in Punjabi, through his interpreter and trainer
of 13 years Harmander Singh, the great-great-grandfather from Ilford, east
London, said he is worried about what will happen when he stops running.

He said: "I fear that people will no longer love me.
At the moment, everyone loves me - I hope nobody will forget or ignore
me."

Mr Singh ran
as a torchbearer at the London Olympics

Nicknamed the Turbaned Tornado, Mr Singh began running at
the age of 89 after moving to the UK from India to be with his family after the
death of his wife and a son.

At the time he needed a new focus in life. Since then, he
has completed nine 42km (26-mile) marathons in London, Toronto and New York.

In Hong Kong he competed in the 10km race on marathon
day, which has a record 72,000 participants in different categories.

Mr Singh, who turns 102 in April, said: "I feel that
I must retire on a high. I will not stop running, but will do it for my
personal health."

Last year, Mr Singh ran as a torchbearer during the London Olympics.

But despite being widely held as the world's oldest
marathon runner, Guinness World Records have refused to certify him because he
does not have a birth certificate.

Mr Singh, whose name means soldier in Punjabi, said there
were no birth certificates in rural Punjab when he was born.

He aims to continue running his 16km a day to stay in
shape - and inspire more people to keep fit.

Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1056152/worlds-oldest-marathon-runner-retires-at-101