Do you remember the Indian-born runner Fauja Singh? (click HERE to go to the article)
The oldest
marathon runner in the world, Britain-based Fauja Singh, completed the 42-kilometer Virgin London Marathon on Sunday in a record time of seven hours and 49 minutes.He announced the London Marathon was his last full marathon because he wants to concentrate on shorter distances and faster times.
The spirited Fauja, originally from India and now settled in London, is not giving up his "only passion left" - running.
"Hats off to the man. I salute the 'Fauja Spirit'. He is an icon! I kept track of him during the London Marathon on Sunday. He got huge attention during the event," said Khushwant, who wrote Fauja's biography "Turbaned Tornado" last year.
Sporting a light-yellow tee shirt of the London-based Sikh organization and wearing contestant vest number 27507, Fauja improved his own time of the 2011 Toronto Marathon, which he finished in over 8 hours.
The London marathon saw Kenya's Wilson Kipsang take the title of the men's elite race with a timing of two hours, four minutes and 44 seconds (2:04:44 hours).
The event, considered the world's largest fundraising event, became tragic when a 30-year-old woman marathoner, Claire Squires collapsed and died after completing 25 miles of the 26-mile race.
In all, Fauja, who turned 101 on April 1, has run eleven full marathons in the last 12 years.
Fauja Singh will probably be part of celebrations to mark 101 years of Taipei in June this year. Sources close to him say if he goes there, he might attempt doing the 'vertical marathon' by climbing 'Taipei 101', one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Born April 1, 1911, age has not been a barrier for him. Fauja, whose name means "soldier", is a one-man army who wants to keep running till he drops.
"I won't stop running till I die. I want to be remembered as the person who ran till the end," Fauja, who has been living in London for the last 16 years, said.
Edited from IBNLive
