The historic athlete Fauja Singh, considered the world's oldest marathon runner, died this Monday at the age of 114 after being hit by a vehicle in the state of Punjab, in northwestern India. The driver fled the scene and has not yet been identified.
Born in 1911 in a rural area of India, Singh was unable to walk until he was five years old due to weakness in his legs. Decades later, he became a global phenomenon in athletics. He began running marathons at the age of 89, after moving to the United Kingdom following the deaths of his wife and son.
A life marked by overcoming adversity
"Running gave me my life back," he confessed in an interview with CNN when he was 102 years old. Among his achievements, he completed nine marathons, including the Toronto marathon in 2003, where he achieved his best time: five hours and 40 minutes.
In 2011, at 100 years old, he returned to Toronto and became the first registered centenarian to complete a marathon: he crossed the finish line in eight hours, 11 minutes, and six seconds. A year later, he carried the Olympic torch at the London 2012 Games. His last race was in Hong Kong in 2013, a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) course.
