On April 1, just a day before India won the cricket World Cup, a London-based Sikh, famous for his running exploits, turned 100 years old. But even on his birthday, Fauja Singh put on his trainers and went for a run.
On April 1, just a day before India won the cricket World Cup, a London-based Sikh, famous for his running exploits, turned 100 years old. But even on his birthday, Fauja Singh put on his trainers and went for a run. He had a race coming up in a few days.
Fauja Singh (in a blue turban) competes in the race with his team
Singh was preparing for the April 10 Newham Classic 10 km run. The 100 year-old ran through Stratford and the Olympic Park in London amidst 1,500 competitors from 53 countries to finish with a timing of 1 hour and 23 minutes. This was his second year at the competition. Last year, he completed the run in 1 hour and 15 minutes, a world record for racers of his age group.
About the former Indian farmer who moved to London in his eighties, Rahul Pawar, Race Director, Newham Classic, said, "Fauja is inspirational and a big star in the East London Sikh Community. He always receives a grand welcome at the finish line." Singh runs along with his coach Harmander Singh and his team of a doctor, physio and family members.
Talking about Singh's training schedule, Pawar said, "Singh has said, no matter what the weather is like, he will walk at least 10 km and sometimes run 20 km a day." According to Pawar, many runners are astonished at Singh's strong voice and handshake. Singh apparently loves drinking tea after the run, instead of water.
Just before the race, Singh had travelled 800 km in a single day. He had travelled from London to Leeds and then back. However, he looked energetic and completed the race.u00a0 And like always, when someone asked him how he maintains himself so well, he was ready with his answer. "Wahe guru ki kripa." Singh, incidentally, visits the gurdwara in the Seven Kings area of Ilford, East London, daily.
Singh is, in fact, a late bloomer. He started running at the age of 89 and "retired" from the full marathon distance of 42 km when he turned 94. Since then, he has been concentrating on shorter runs, especially the 10 km races.
A biography on Singh is expected to release in London in a couple of weeks. Titled Turbaned Tornado, it has been written by Khushwant Singh (not the famous Indian columnist with the same name). So what will Singh do next? According to Pawar, Singh wants to run in the 2012 London Olympic Games. And for that, he will start training harder.
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