Fauja Singh, world’s oldest marathon runner aged 101, runs last race in Hong Kong

Fauja Singh, a man believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner at 101 years old, has run his last long distance competitive race in Hong Kong.

Fauja Singh, from Ilford, east London, finished the Hong Kong 10 km (6.25 mile) event in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

“I will remember this day. I will miss it,” Fauja Singh said minutes after crossing the finish line.

In 2000, Fauja Singh ran his first London marathon and went on to compete in a further eight marathons.

Earlier in the day, he said: “I am feeling a bit of happiness and a bit of sadness mixed together.

“I am happy that I am retiring at the top of the game but I am sad that the time has come for me to not be part of it.”

He said he would miss running in competitive races but he would run again for charity if he was needed.

Fauja Singh became the oldest full marathon runner after finishing the 2011 Toronto marathon when he turned 100.

But his feat was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he does not have a birth certificate to prove his age – only a passport.

Fauja Singh was not a professional runner when he was young but a farmer in Punjab, India.

He moved to Britain in the 1960s, and started running when he was 89 after he lost his wife and his fifth son.

“From a tragedy has come a lot of success and happiness,” Fauja Singh said, before the race.

Fauja Singh’s best time for the full marathon was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto marathon.