Hong Kong is where a 101-year-old marathoner, the oldest in the world, plans to hang up his sneakers. Fauja Singh, an Indian-born Briton aka the "Turbaned Tornado," who began running marathons at 89, modestly says that age has caught up with him. Feb. 24 marks his retirement.
According to a Jan. 27 report from Inquisitr, an inspirational human being inspired many people the world over when he began running competitively 12 years ago.
While Singh was born April 1, 1911, being the world's oldest marathon runner is not an April Fool's joke. However, it's quite odd to believe that a man can keep with runners many decades his junior, all at a time while most people his age would be in nursing homes or bed-ridden.
Nonetheless, the 101-year-old marathoner insists that he is not suffering from ill health in his advanced age. Furthermore, he denies taking any medicine or "fountain of youth" elixirs to maintain his stamina and vitality.
Singh said he took up running after losing his wife and sons in a tragedy years ago. Running allows him to focus on beating depression.
He credits daily exercise and consuming small portions of food for limited caloric intake. Obviously, this conflicts with diets for today's athletes, who depend on carbs, protein and sugars for competition and staying in shape.
Perhaps, the oldest living marathon runner on record just has good genes, right?
"But I will keep running for at least four hours daily after that. Running is my life. I will keep running to inspire the masses," Singh told a local Indian newspaper recently.
Singh says his last race is Feb. 24, just five weeks before he turns 102. Then, he'll retire. Imagine that; a 101-year-old marathoner?
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