Fauja Singh, the man celebrated as the world’s oldest marathon runner and a living symbol of human endurance, has died at 114 after being struck by a car while crossing the road in his native village near Jalandhar, Punjab.
According to Fox News, Singh sustained “severe head injuries” and was taken to the hospital, where he later died. His coach, Harmander Singh, shared the heartbreaking news: “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. He succumbed to injuries caused by a vehicle accident while crossing the road close to his home.”
For Catholics, who believe in the sanctity of every human life until natural death, Singh’s tragic and sudden passing hits deeply. This was not simply the end of a long life—it was the interruption of a beautiful story still being written.
At an age when most would have long faded from public life, Fauja Singh was still walking, smiling, inspiring. Though he officially retired from racing in his 100s, his legacy—and his presence—continued to uplift people across cultures and religions. He reminded us that age is no barrier to meaning, that even the elderly have much to give.
“How much longer would God have allowed him to shine, had this careless accident not cut his journey short?” we might ask in grief.
Singh only discovered his love for running at 89, after enduring the grief of losing his wife and then witnessing the tragic decapitation of his son in a farming accident. “From a tragedy has come a lot of success and happiness,” he once said after finishing the London Marathon in 2000 (Fox News). In 2011, he became the first man believed to complete a marathon at age 100—though Guinness World Records declined to officially recognize it due to lack of a birth certificate. His British passport listed his birthdate as April 1, 1911.
He lived his final decades like a man half his age, moving with purpose, grace, and joy. And even now, at 114, we mourn not just his passing, but the time that was stolen—the walks he didn’t take, the smiles he didn’t share, the races he might have still inspired.
Tributes poured in from around the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote: “Fauja Singh Ji was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness. He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away.”
Singh’s London-based running club, Sikhs in the City, plans to honor his legacy in upcoming events. But for many, the grief runs deeper than ceremony. This wasn’t just the death of a 114-year-old man—it was the loss of a light in a world desperate for hope.
May we never forget the quiet miracle of his life. May we never take for granted the sacredness of the elderly. And may Fauja Singh rest in the peace of God, whose race he ran so faithfully to the very end.
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