Dhillon was driving a speeding white SUV when he struck Singh during his afternoon walk in Punjab on Monday. Singh sustained critical injuries and died shortly after being taken to the hospital

By Titilope Adako

Police in India have arrested a 26-year-old man, Amritpal Singh Dhillon, for the hit-and-run death of Fauja Singh, the British-Indian runner believed to be the world’s oldest marathoner.

According to authorities, Dhillon was driving a speeding white SUV when he struck Singh during his afternoon walk in Punjab on Monday. Singh sustained critical injuries and died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

The accident occurred near Beas Pind, Singh’s birth village, close to Jalandhar city. Eyewitnesses said Singh was crossing the road when he was hit. Indian media reports suggest his life might have been saved if the driver had taken him to hospital immediately.

Fauja Singh, who began running at 89, gained international fame for completing nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013. He reportedly became the first person over 100 to finish a marathon in 2011 in Toronto and carried the Olympic torch at the London 2012 Games.

Despite these feats, Guinness World Records never officially recognised him as the oldest marathon runner due to the absence of a birth certificate from 1911. However, his British passport showed 1 April 1911 as his date of birth, and he received a letter from the Queen on his 100th birthday.

Singh lived in Ilford, east London, from 1992 and was a member of the Sikhs In The City running club, which plans to honour him with events celebrating his life.

Born with weak legs and unable to walk until age five, Singh never attended school or played sports as a child. He worked as a farmer and lived through both World Wars and the partition of India.

His journey into running began in his 80s after a series of personal tragedies, including the deaths of his wife and younger son. It was in London that he met his coach, Harmander Singh, and began running with a group of elderly men from a local gurdwara.

Singh’s life story captured global attention when Adidas featured him in their 2004 “Impossible is Nothing” campaign alongside legends like Muhammad Ali.

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