Fauja Singh obituary

"The British Sikh marathon runner Fauja Singh, who has died aged 114 in a traffic accident, became known globally as the Turbaned Tornado. He was the first person over the age of 100 to complete a marathon when he ran the Toronto waterfront marathon in 2011. This achievement was not officially recognised by Guinness World Records as Fauja did not have a birth certificate, but his feat captured international attention."

"We asked him how he had so much energy. He replied, It's all because of Waheguru, meaning wonderful God. Fauja was born in Beas Pind, a village in the Jalandhar districtof what was then British India. Birth certificates were not issued in Indian villages at the time, although he later registered for a passport, and it is thought he was born on 1 April 1911."

Fauja Singh was a British Sikh marathon runner known as the Turbaned Tornado who died aged 114 in a traffic accident. He was the first person over 100 to complete a marathon, finishing the Toronto waterfront marathon in 2011, though Guinness World Records did not officially recognise the feat because he lacked a birth certificate. He began running at 89 after seeing people on television and ran his first marathon in London in 2000. He emigrated to the UK after his wife's death, lived in Ilford, and dedicated his running to charitable causes and Sewa, viewing it as spiritual service.

Read at www.theguardian.com