World's Oldest Marathon Runner Retires At 101 years

 The world's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, is retiring after his final race in Hong Kong.

The 101-year-old said he felt sad quitting competitive events but his age had finally caught up with him and he wanted to end on a high.

Speaking in Punjabi, through his interpreter and trainer of 13 years Harmander Singh, the great-great-grandfather from Ilford, east London, said he is worried about what will happen when he stops running.

He said: "I fear that people will no longer love me. At the moment, everyone loves me - I hope nobody will forget or ignore me."

Nicknamed the Turbaned Tornado, Mr Singh began running at the age of 89 after moving to the UK from India to be with his family after the death of his wife and a son.

At the time he needed a new focus in life. Since then, he has completed nine 42km (26-mile) marathons in London, Toronto and New York.

In Hong Kong he competed in the 10km race on marathon day, which has a record 72,000 participants in different categories. 

Mr Singh, who turns 102 in April, said: "I feel that I must retire on a high. I will not stop running, but will do it for my personal health."

Last year, Mr Singh ran as a torchbearer during the London Olympics.

But despite being widely held as the world's oldest marathon runner, Guinness World Records have refused to certify him because he does not have a birth certificate. 

Mr Singh, whose name means soldier in Punjabi, said there were no birth certificates in rural Punjab when he was born.

He aims to continue running his 16km a day to stay in shape - and inspire more people to keep fit.