A man believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner has run his last long distance competitive race in Hong Kong.
Fauja Singh, from Ilford, east London, who is 101 years old, finished the Hong Kong 10km (6.25 mile) event in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.
“I will remember this day. I will miss it,” Mr Singh said minutes after crossing the finish line.
In 2000, he ran his first London marathon and went on to compete in a further eight marathons.
‘From tragedy’
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.
He became the oldest full marathon runner after finishing the 2011 Toronto marathon when he turned 100.
But his feat was not recognised by Guinness World Records because he does not have a birth certificate to prove his age – only a passport.
Mr 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,” Mr Singh said, before the race.
His best time for the full marathon was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto marathon.
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