Marathon man shines at 93

[Banda Singh]

Marathon man shines at 93

By JAMES CHRISTIE

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Toronto — Fauja Singh's passion for the pavement has made him a celebrity.

A running habit that started as a cure for an old widower's boredom has turned the 93-year-old British man into a poster boy for both a major sporting-goods company and an international human-rights group.

Mr. Singh broke his own world record on the streets of Toronto yesterday, completing the half-marathon division of the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon in 2:30:02. Another world record fell to speedy senior Ed Whitlock. The 73-year-old from Milton, Ont., broke his own mark by five minutes, completing the marathon in 2:54:48 to finish 26th overall. Toronto's Michal Kapral also set

a world pram-pushing record by steering his 20-month-old daughter around the course in 2:49:43.

These days, Mr. Singh can't run just for himself. A bandwagon of causes and followers have latched on to him, says the marathon's technical race director, David Reid.

“He's become like a cult hero,” said Mr. Reid, formerly one of Canada's top distance runners. “Last year, there was this quiet old gentleman out for a run. This year, at a news conference, there was an entourage of 20 around him. People were coming up just to touch him. It's like they were getting energy from him. It's the craziest thing I've ever seen.”

The slender (six-foot, 112-pound) senior with the flowing white beard and yellow turban gained headlines last year in Toronto by setting the world record for a nonagenarian marathoner; 5 hours, 40 minutes.

So inspiring was that run that sportswear giant adidas incorporated Mr. Singh into its advertising campaign themed “Impossible is Nothing.” Mr. Singh appears on billboards in London, as does soccer hero David Beckham.

Mr. Singh, who speaks only his native Punjabi, was paid for use of his image, but said in an interview in London's Indian Express that in accordance with Sikh philosophy he turns the bulk of it over to charities. One of his favourites is an organization called Bliss, which benefits premature babies. “It's the very old helping the very young,” Mr. Singh said. He also runs for the British Heart Foundation.

He was on a poster in downtown Toronto yesterday as well, his slim figure in mid-stride adorning a bus shelter with the caption “Fauja Singh: Age 93/Champion International Marathon Runner/Father of Six/Grandfather of 13 –Vegetarian.”

That ad was the work of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which adopted the vegetarian Sikh runner's image to send its message to runners that the carnivore lifestyle is uncool.

“One of our London workers spoke with him there and he's excited about

the attention he's getting,” said PETA campaign manager Alka Chandna.

“Fauja Singh is living proof that adopting a vegetarian diet can help athletes maintain their winning edge and their health. Clogging up their systems with residues from meat and other animal products can turn once-promising competitors into spectators.”

Mr. Singh's usual diet includes grains, green vegetables, yogurt, tea and ginger. He spurns fried foods. He doesn't drink alcohol or smoke.

One of his goals, he says, is to promote some understanding of Sikh culture. He completed his world-record run on the same day that Sikhs in Toronto held a parade to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture.

Mr. Singh also competes in the New York and London marathons, although nowhere has he run as fast as in Toronto last year. Last year it took him 7 ½ hours to wind through New York's five boroughs, usually to cheers, sometimes to ignorant taunts of “Hey, Osama.”

“That didn't hurt me. It had nothing to do with the race,” he said after the event. “Besides, there were enough cheers, and I took energy from them.”

Mr. Singh moved from India to London in 1992 to live with his son after the death of his wife. He'd spent his first 81 years on the family farm and had been a runner in his youth but had quit at age 36. At 89, he took to the streets again, “when other people my age are hobbling on sticks.”

Earlier this year, he was called upon to run with the Olympic flame through the streets of London on its round-the-world tour. He wants to stay active long enough to be the oldest man to complete a marathon. The record currently belongs to a 98-year-old Greek.

“The first 20 miles are not difficult. And the last six, I talk to God.”

With a report from Joe Friesen