Fauja Singh, 101, will run his last marathon in Hong Kong

The world’s oldest marathon runner will to call time on marathons after completing the 10-kilometre race at next month’s Hong Kong Marathon. India-born Fauja Singh, who is now a British national, is 101 years old. Known as the ‘Turbaned Torpedo’, he even took part in the recent Mumbai Marathon and will retire from competitive running after crossing the finishing line on 24 February. In October 2011, Fauja Singh, aged 100, became the world’s oldest runner to complete a marathon when he finished the Toronto Waterfront event. However, the Guinness World Records organisation has refused to accept him as the world’s oldest marathon runner as he could not provide it with a birth certificate. [caption id=“attachment_601722” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Fauja Singh at the Mumbai Marathon. AFP[/caption] Fauja, who used to live in Punjab, emigrated from India in the 1980s and became a British citizen in 2003. He even received a letter from Queen Elizabeth that all UK citizens receive when they cross the age of 100. However, Fauja Singh isn’t too bothered about his age. His main aim in running the marathons is to raise money for charity and that is something he has done very successfully. “It’s getting tougher for me. But I loved racing in Hong Kong last year,” said Singh, told South China Morning Post through his coach and interpreter, Harmander Singh. “I want my last official race to be here. I’ll always run but only for pleasure after this,” he said. “If it was left up to him, he’d keep competing, but we have to think of his health,” his coach added. “He’s achieved everything that was humanly possible for a runner of his age to achieve. He has nothing left to prove,” he said.