Legacy of Fauja Singh, the marathon
runner – by Col R.D. Singh (Retd.)
12, March 2013
Pictures and Videos: Amar Singh
Jyani, GS Mann, Background Music: Murari Verma
Most people at
89 can not even walk without support, and here is Fauja Singh who ran a full
marathon of 26.2 miles in record 5:40 hrs in London at that age.
With nine
marathons and several winning runs ( ranging from 200m to 3000m) to
his credit, the ‘Turbaned Tornado’ hanged his racing shoes after his last
marathon in Hong Kong on 24 February. He finished the 10 Kms race in 92 minutes
at the age of 101 plus. “Running is my life” said the proud centenarian
marathon runner as he bid a tearful goodbye to marathons.
Fauja has
created a sensation, and changed our thinking as regards the old age and
fitness. We are senior citizens at 60, hold a walking stick at 80, and quite a
few of us bed ridden by 90. On our birthdays, children gift us with walking
sticks, medicine boxes, BP apparatus etc. No one cares to present us with
walking shoes, and a sports T shirts, because they think 80 or 90 is no age to
for serious physical activity. We are expected to rest and meditate, waiting for
the D day. We succumb to inactivity, and ailments, becoming a burden for
others.
Fauja changed it
all. With no education, and a humble Punjab farmer background, one day,
following the loss of his wife and son, he just took to running in his
80s, while staying with his son in London. That was his way of overcoming the
depression following the loss of loved ones. Focused, determined,
running daily with a purpose, he kept running one marathon after another, as he
progressed towards the Age of 100. He kept winning race after race, be it 200m
or 3000m. The world was amazed at his will power and stamina. He set a world
record of running a full marathon at Toronto in 2011, as the oldest runner, at
the age of 100. Sadly, the record was not recognized by the Guinness World
Records because he does not have a birth certificate to prove his age.
However, he has a British passport that shows his date of birth as 01April
1911, and a letter from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating him on his 100th birthday. Adidas featured him in an ad campaign for sportswear, alongside
David Beckham and Muhammad Ali in 2004.
Even today, the
‘Running Baba’, is full of life and positivity. Nearing 102, Fauja
suffers from no physical ailment, and wishes to continue running to raise funds
for charity, and to motivate the young and old to remain fit. The biggest
contribution of Fauja Singh, I feel, is that he has made the old to feel young,
and set a personal example in physical fitness. “Nothing is impossible”, and “
you are never too old to run” are the endearing legacies of the Tornado
Torpedo. May the Fauja spirit prevail in all our challenges..
