4-Year-Old India's" Forrest Gump" Ran 40 Miles Non-Stop.

Budhia Singh, a 4-year-old "India’s Forrest Gump", ran 65 km (40.4 miles):

"Budhia Singh completed the distance in seven hours and two minutes, which is an Indian record," said his coach, Biranchi Das. "This is perhaps a world record too. No other kid at his age has completed a distance of 65 kilometres at one go."

Das said the boy would have completed the 70 kilometres if hehadn’t been interrupted frequently by enthusiastic supporters and television reporters after entering Bhubaneswar. Many rushed to place garlands around his neck even before he could complete the run.

As if that’s not enough, it turns out that Budhia was sold as a child for 800 rupees (about $18) because his mother was too poor to take care of him:

Budhia is from Bhubaneswar. In 2004, he was sold to a man for Rs 800/- because his mother, who washes dishes, was unable to provide for four children, after the death of their father in the same year.

It proved to be a turning point for Budhia. His talent was discovered in the guise of a punishment meted out to him by the president of the residents’ association and judo coach, Biranchi Das. Das had ordered the mischievous kid to keep running till he returned. To his astonishment, when he returned after around four hours, Budhia was still running, and showed little signs of exhaustion. Das took him under his tutelage.

And that the Indian Child Welfare Committee is now investigating charges of exploitation by the coach…

Links: Canoe Cnews | Hindustan Times | BBC