INSPIRATION, SIKH

Fauja Singh: Remembering the 114-Year-Old Marathon Legend

⏱ Estimated Read Time: 2 minutes

Yo, what’s up? I just heard the sad news about Bhai Fauja Singh, the 114-year-old absolute legend of a human being, passing away in India. For those who don’t know, Fauja Singh is one of the oldest people to ever run a full marathon. Although Guinness World Records didn’t officially recognize the record because they couldn’t provide a valid birth certificate, if you look at when he ran and do a time analysis, it’s clear that even without the exact date, he was old and he broke that record. So, I’m going to respect the record here. What an absolute inspiration he was, man!

I remember when I first heard about him. It was when he ran the New York City Marathon and then came back and worked with the Guru Gobind Singh Children’s Foundation, running the Toronto City Marathon. I was just gobsmacked at that time, like, holy smokes, what am I doing with my life? How am I letting my youth slip away? I was in my mid-20s, and I still couldn’t run a 5K without struggling, and this man in his 90s was running a full 40K. Insane!

I am so humbled and inspired by what he was, what he stood for, and what he accomplished, especially that late in life, when most people are sitting in the park, hobbling, and using walkers. Running 40K, man—he was an inspiration to health. I remember when he came to Toronto, the number of uncles, including my dad and his friends, who were like, “You know what? It’s time to get out there. Time to put some rubber to pavement.” Man, I remember my dad doing 10Ks daily, trying to get ready for the Toronto half marathon. It was inspiring to see them being inspired by someone. It’s seldom you see people that you look up to finding someone that they look up to.

So that was crazy, man. It’s kind of an unfitting way to go, but that’s out of our control. All we can do is thank Gurusa for allowing us to be inspired and for giving Fauja Singh the strength and will to do what he did, to continue to inspire us. I think we’ll be forever blessed. I love the fact that we have the book that Simranjeet Singh wrote, which I continue to read to my kids, and it serves to inspire them. They’re like, “Wow, 90 years old!” I don’t know if they understand exactly what a 90-year-old marathon runner is, and maybe it’ll take them a lot longer to figure that out, but I definitely know they’re just like, “Wow, a Sikh can run a marathon, and a Sikh who’s that old can run a marathon!” I think he will continue to serve and inspire us.

So, hey man, take a walk, go for a jog, do something to honor his legacy, man. He lived a beautiful life, and I think that’s what I want to remember him for. Anyways, till the next one. Peace.

YouTube: Fauja Singh: Remembering the 114-Year-Old Marathon Legend

updated_at 31-07-2025
Ai Disclosure: The above posts were transcribed using AI tools. Some language may not have been accurately transcribed.
Ai Header Image Prompt: An ultra-detailed, high-quality dynamic digital painting of an elderly Sikh man, reminiscent of Fauja Singh, in a powerful marathon running stride. He wears a classic turban and simple running attire. His weathered face shows an expression of profound wisdom, determination, and peaceful endurance, with every wrinkle and line intricately rendered. The figure is anatomically correct with natural, unexaggerated hand and limb articulation. The art style seamlessly blends realistic rendering with abstract digital art elements: vibrant, glowing energy trails and subtle, luminous geometric patterns radiate from his form, symbolizing his inspiring spirit and boundless energy. These abstract elements subtly integrate into a softly blurred, atmospheric background that hints at a grand city marathon, without being overtly recognizable as a specific location. The color palette features rich, inspiring tones of deep golds, ethereal blues, and soft purples, creating a sense of timelessness and transcendence. The overall image possesses a unique, almost hand-crafted digital aesthetic, avoiding any overtly AI-generated appearance. No text overlays.