'Oldest marathon runner' competes in Hong Kong

6 Feb 2012, 4:14 pm   -   Source: AFP
0 Comments
Share This
+ Comment
0
Centenarian Fauja Singh claims to be the oldest marathon runner in the world after completing the Toronto Waterfront event last year and the Hong Kong race this year. (AAP)

Centenarian Fauja Singh claims to be the oldest marathon runner in the world after completing the Toronto Waterfront event last year and the Hong Kong race this year. (AAP)

A 100-year-old British Indian man who claims to be the world's oldest marathoner was all smiles after completing a 10-kilometre run at the Hong Kong marathon on Sunday.

 Born in 1911 and affectionately nicknamed the 'Turbaned Torpedo,' Fauja Singh finished the race in just over one hour and 34 minutes, organisers told AFP, and raised HK$200,000 (A$25,800) for the charity Seeing Is Believing.
   
"The weather was very pleasant, I enjoyed the race very much," he was quoted by local media as saying, as he crossed the finishing line, arms in the air.
   
The centenarian attributed his physical fitness to his healthy lifestyle, including abstaining from smoking and alcohol and following a vegetarian diet, according to local reports.
   
The Guinness World Records has reportedly refused to accept him as the world's oldest marathon runner because he could not provide them with a birth certificate.
   
Singh claimed to be the first centenarian to complete a marathon after finishing the Toronto Waterfront event last October.
   
A record number of 70,000 runners took part in this year's Hong Kong marathon, which includes the full 42-kilometre marathon race, a half marathon and a 10-kilometre race.
   
A 26-year-old male runner collapsed after crossing the finishing line of the half-marathon race, and was certified dead after being sent to hospital.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube

Join the Discussion

Name
City / Suburb E.g. Artarmon, Sydney
Title
Comment
You have characters remaining.
Validation
What's this?
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.
All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.