Sardarni Man Kaur, widely known as the “Miracle from Chandigarh”, began competitive athletics at the age of 93 after watching her son, Gurdev Singh, compete. Born in Patiala in 1916, Kaur had spent most of her life away from sport before taking up running in her later years. Her journey took her from a first competition in Chandigarh to international Masters athletics, where she won multiple medals across sprinting and field events.
At 101, she won the 100m in the over-100 category at the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, finishing in 1 minute 14.58 seconds. She continued competing into her 100s, won four gold medals at the 2019 World Masters Athletics Championships in Poland, and received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020. Kaur died in July 2021 at the age of 105, leaving behind a sporting legacy that challenged conventional ideas about ageing.
A Life Before Running
For nearly nine decades, athletics was not part of Man Kaur’s life. Born in Patiala, Punjab, in 1916, she spent much of her adulthood focused on her family and household. Her entry into sport came only after she accompanied her son Gurdev Singh to athletics competitions.
Gurdev, himself a Masters athlete, encouraged his mother to try running. At 93, Kaur began training under his guidance. Her early days on the track were far removed from the image of the champion she would eventually become. She had not grown up preparing for competition and had to develop the physical ability and confidence required for racing later in life.
Her first competitive appearance came at the Chandigarh Masters Athletics meet in 2007. What began as a late-life experiment soon became a serious pursuit. With Gurdev continuing to train her, Kaur returned to the track and gradually progressed from local competition to the international Masters circuit.
From Chandigarh To World
Kaur’s improvement was striking. At the 2011 World Masters Championships in Sacramento, United States, she won gold in both the 100m and 200m and was recognised as the best athlete at the competition. Her performances established that her success was not simply a one-time curiosity linked to her age.
She continued travelling for competitions and competing across different events. Her story attracted growing attention because of the unusual timing of her sporting career: while many athletes retire from competition decades earlier, Kaur was building one after turning 90.
Her defining international moment came in 2017, when she travelled to Auckland, New Zealand, for the World Masters Games. At 101, she entered the 100m in the over-100 category and crossed the finish line in 1 minute 14.58 seconds. She celebrated with her arms raised, an image that quickly became synonymous with her remarkable journey.
Kaur was the only entrant in that age category, but the achievement nevertheless captured global attention. She also competed in the 200m, shot put and javelin, winning gold in each.
Winning Beyond One Hundred
Auckland did not mark the end of Kaur’s competitive career. She continued training and competing as she entered her 100s, showing that her 101-year-old victory was part of a longer sporting journey rather than an isolated moment.
At the 2019 World Masters Athletics Championships in Toruń, Poland, Kaur won four gold medals. She triumphed in the 60m, 200m, shot put and javelin, adding another remarkable chapter to a career that had begun only in her 90s.
Kaur often spoke about the happiness she found in running rather than presenting competition solely as a pursuit of medals. “I will continue to run and take part in competitions as long as I can,” she said in an interview. “It gives me a lot of happiness when I run.”
Her achievements also brought national recognition. In March 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind presented Kaur with the Nari Shakti Puraskar, recognising her contribution and example as a woman who continued to pursue athletics at an extraordinary age.
More Than Sporting Records
Kaur’s significance extended beyond the medals and race timings. Her public image offered an alternative to the common portrayal of older people primarily through frailty, dependence or retirement. She was travelling internationally, training with her son and competing in events well after turning 100.
That does not mean ageing ceases to bring physical limitations, nor does Kaur’s experience suggest that everyone can replicate her athletic achievements. What made her story meaningful was the late beginning itself. She demonstrated that a person can discover a new interest and develop a sense of purpose long after the age at which society often expects such possibilities to narrow.
Her journey also highlighted the importance of support. Gurdev’s encouragement was central to her entry into athletics, while his continued involvement helped sustain her training and competitions over the years.
A Legacy Beyond Athletics
Man Kaur died on July 31, 2021, aged 105. By then, the woman who had first stepped onto a competitive track in her 90s had become one of India’s most recognisable Masters athletes.
Her story remains compelling not because she somehow escaped ageing, but because she refused to let conventional expectations decide what her later years could contain. From struggling to begin at 93 to winning international gold at 101 and 103, Kaur showed that a new chapter can begin surprisingly late and still become extraordinary.
For a society that often places limits on people based on age, her life leaves behind a simple question: how many possibilities do we close off when we assume someone is simply “too old” to begin?
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