Nonagenarian runner Fauja Singh, sporting the medal he won at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, addresses fellow participants and spectators after the event. (Photo, as it appears on www.torontowaterfront- marathon.com)

Indo-British runner Fauja Singh, 93, became the toast of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon by establishing one of the two world records that were set at the event on Sept. 26.

Participating in the half marathon, Singh, who lives in Illford, Essex in England, clocked 2:30:02 to erase his own previous world mark for those above the age of 90. His new world record of 5:40:04, is over half an hour less than the previous mark.

The other world mark at the event was established by Ed Whitlock, a 73-year-old Canadian from Milton, Ontario, who completed the marathon in 2:54:48 to finish 26th in the event. He thus improved his own previous world record by five minutes.

As nonagenarian Singh stepped past the finish line, a huge roar went up from the thousands of spectators who had lined up along the last kilometer of the course, according to reports. Surrounded by members of Toronto’s South Asian community and the media, Singh said he felt great and was really happy at his performance in the event.

Singh, a father of six, and grandfather of 13, is the oldest member of a club of some of the world’s most accomplished sportsperson, including British soccer superstar David Beckham and American lightweight boxing champ Laila Ali, to appear in advertisements for Adidas, a leading brand of sports good and equipment. The veteran athlete is a vegetarian, and has joined hands with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to promote the virtues of a meat-free diet.

His outstanding performance at the event received praise and accolades from several quarters in leading newspapers of Canada. “A running habit that started as a cure for an old widower’s boredom has turned the 93-year-old British man into a poster boy for both a major sporting-goods company and an international human-rights group,” noted the Globe and Mail newspaper.

David Reid, the technical director of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, was quoted as acknowledging that despite his advanced age, Singh is not running just for himself. Instead, he said, the veteran athlete is highlighting and working for “a bandwagon of causes.” Reid observed that Singh has over the last year, progressed from being a “quiet old gentleman out for a run,” to someone who now resembles “a cult hero.”

“This year, at a news conference, there was an entourage of 20 around him. People were coming up just to touch him. It’s like they were getting energy from him. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” Reid added.

(Compiled from news dispatches by Charles Isaac)