Fauja Singh, an Indian-born runner nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo who was believed to be the world�s oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car. He was 114.

Local media in India reported that Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death.

India�s Prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh, saying he was �extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness.�

Singh became the oldest man to run a full marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 in Toronto. His accomplishment was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he did not have a birth certificate to prove his age. Singh had a British passport that showed his date of birth as April 1, 1911, while a letter from Indian government officials stated that birth records were not kept in 1911.

A torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, Singh took up running at the age of 89 as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession in India. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on him because of its grisly nature.

Singh and his son, Kuldip, both farmers, were checking on their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father�s eyes.

Singh, whose five other children had emigrated, was left all alone.

�He didn�t think his life was worth living without his son� following the traumatic incident, his coach Harmander Singh said.

He went to live with his youngest son in London. That�s where sports enthusiast Singh attended tournaments organized by the Sikh community and took part in sprints. He met some Sikh marathon runners who encouraged him to take up long-distance running. One day he saw a marathon on television for the first time and decided that�s what he wanted to do.

At the age of 89 in 2000 he ran the London Marathon, his first, and went on to do eight more. His best time was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto Marathon.

�From a tragedy has come a lot of success and happiness,� Singh said.

Singh ran his last competitive race in 2013 at the age of 101, finishing the Hong Kong Marathon�s 10-kilometer (6.25-mile) race in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 28 seconds.

Following his retirement from racing, he said he hoped �people will remember me and not forget me.� He also wanted people to continue to invite him to events �rather than forget me altogether just because I don�t run anymore.�

�He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination,� Modi said. �Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.�

(AP)