AP Workers were dismantling barricades and taking down the banners as he entered the final stretch, which seems a bit rude. But Fauja Singh, 100, finished Toronto’s waterfront marathon Sunday evening and grabbed a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as well. The British citizen of Indian descent became the oldest person to ever to finish a competitive race of 26.2 miles or more. Then that evening he went bar hopping. I added that last part.
Singh was the last person to complete the race, crossing the finish line just before 6 p.m. ET with a time of 8 hours, 11 minutes and 5.9 seconds.
Harmander Singh said the centenarian turned to running after losing his wife and child to “tragic circumstances” about 20 years ago. His coach said the runner didn’t want to discuss those tragic circumstances. Part of his outlook is maintaining a constant focus on the positive.
His nickname? The Turbaned Tornado. Which was my old nickname in college.
So to recap: A 100-year-old man completed a marathon legitimately, and a 31-year-old stopped halfway through and took the bus.
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100-year-old sets record with marathon finish [CBC News]
