100-year-old to run waterfront marathon
Posted October 13, 2011 3:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
When the Toronto Waterfront Marathon happens this Sunday, one of the thousands taking part will be a 100-year-old man from England.
Fauja Singh is aiming to become the oldest marathoner ever and secure a coveted spot in the book of Guinness World Records.
He already holds the records in the 90-plus age group for 10,000 metres, a half-marathon and a full marathon – the latter two in Toronto. And on Thursday, he broke the 100-metre record when he ran it in 23.4 seconds at Scarborough’s Birchmount Stadium.
Singh himself was born in India on April 11, 1911 and emigrated to England in the 1990s after the deaths of his wife and son.
He walks, jogs, and runs as many as 16 kilometres a day near his home in Essex county.
“I have always enjoyed sports from an early age and prefer to be active rather than passive,” he said through his coach and translator.
“Running is free and I can do it at a pace to suit me. The fact that others benefit from something I like to do, be it through raising of sponsorship for charities or simply motivating people to become healthier, is a motivator for me.”
