Fauja Singh, world’s ‘oldest’ marathon runner, dead at 114 after hit-and-run

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Fauja Singh, who is believed to have been the world’s oldest marathon runner, tragically died on Monday from injuries he sustained after being struck by a car while crossing a road in India. He was 114. 

Singh, who was believed to have been born in 1911, was taken to a hospital after reports say he suffered severe head injuries after being hit by a car in his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab.

British Indian marathon runner Fauja Singh, 101, jogs during a practise at a park in Hong Kong February 21, 2013. Singh will take part in a 10-kilometer race at the Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday before he officially retires from public races.  (Bobby Yip/Reuters)

His running coach, Harmander Singh, confirmed his death on social media. 

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"Dearest runners, 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," his statement began. "He succumbed to injuries caused by a vehicle accident while crossing the road close to his home."

Harvinder Singh, a top district police officer in the area, told the BBC that law enforcement is still searching for the driver of the vehicle. 

Singh began running at the age of 89 after tragedy struck his family. He had lost his wife and son, but it was the tragic death of his son that Singh said had brought on his depression. His son, Kuldip, was decapitated in a farming accident in 1994. Singh had witnessed the horrible accident.

The world's oldest marathon runner, 94-year-old Fauja Singh (C), gestures before the start of a short version of the 6 km International