The world’s oldest marathon runner, age 101, is preparing to run his final marathon. Fauja Singh has decided to retire as he fears he will not be able to continue competing after the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24th.
Singh will celebrate his 102nd birthday just five weeks after his final run. The British national, originally from Punjab, India, did not start competing in marathons until he was 89.
Singh has has proudly earned the nickname “Turbaned Tornado.” He has participated in eight marathons in the last 12 years. Singh competed in The London Marathon last year for the fifth time, in just over seven hours. He has also completed marathons in New York and Toronto.
As reported by Yahoo News , Singh explains his secret to living a long and fulfilling life:
“The reason for my good health is that I exercise daily and follow a proper diet regime. I take happiness in biggest proportions though my actual diet is very small. Nowadays, people are more interested in going to a gym, but I feel that if they exercise regularly on their own they can be physically and mentally strong. Daily exercise will keep you away from all diseases.”
Singh is recognized world wide as being the oldest marathon runner, but as reported by firstpost.com , he was not recognized by the Guiness Book of World records because he was unable to provide a copy of his birth certificate verifying his age.
Although 101-year-old Singh has announced that this will be his last marathon , he plans to continue running up to four hours per day.