World's Oldest Marathon Runner Dies After Being Hit by Car

Fauja Singh was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner.
The world's oldest marathon runner was killed after being hit by a car.
The world's oldest marathon runner was killed after being hit by a car. / John Oliva/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indian-born runner Fauja Singh, who was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while crossing the road in Punjab, India, according to a report from ESPN.

He was 114.

News of Singh's death was spread by local media in India on Monday after Singh suffered severe head trauma while crossing the road in his native village of Jalandhar. Singh, who was known as the "Turbaned Torpedo," made history in 2011 when he ran a full marathon in Toronto at the age of 100. However, his run was not recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records because Singh could not prove his age with a birth certificate. His British passport said that he was born in 1911, but the Indian government said that birth records were not kept in 1911.

Singh would go on to carry the torch in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.