British marathon runner, Fauja Singh, who is widely believed to be the oldest runner to complete a marathon, has died after being hit by a car, aged 114.
The fatal accident occurred whilst he took his daily walk through his birth village of Beas Pind in Punjab, India. He later died in hospital, according to reports.
His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs in the City, confirmed his passing in a social media post.
“It is with great sadness that we can confirm our icon of humanity and powerhouse of positivity Fauja Singh has passed away in India. Aged 114 years old,” they posted on Instagram.
“He succumbed to injuries caused by a vehicle accident while crossing the road close to his home.”
The east London run club will devote all of its upcoming events to celebrate Mr Singh’s life.
Mr Singh, originally a farmer from Punjab, moved to Ilford in 1992.
He gave his birth date as April 1 1911. The country was ruled by Britain at the time, and birth certificates were not regularly issued in villages.
He was the youngest of four children, and was unable to walk until the age of five as he suffered from thin and weak legs. He settled in England with his son following the death of his wife, Gian Kaur.
Nicknamed the ‘Turbaned Tornado’, Mr Singh only took up running at 83 to help him overcome the grief of losing his fifth son Kuldip in August 1994.
He made a name for himself after completing the London Marathon in 2000 in 6 hours and 54 minutes. He knocked 58 minutes off the previous world’s best in the 90-plus age bracket and went on to smash a number of records in races across the world.
The centenarian, with his straggly white beard exploding down his chest and array of beautiful brightly-coloured Sikh turbans, was a favourite of marathon spectator crowds.
Over the course of his running career, he celebrated a number of inspirational achievements – including a personal best marathon time of five hours and 40 minutes, and being a torch-bearer for the London 2012 Olympics.
He was also the subject of a biography launched in the House of Lords, before retiring at the age of 101.