BBC NEWS | South Asia | Fears for Indian 'marathon tot'

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Fears for Indian 'marathon tot': "Budhia Singh, who recently ran 60km (33 miles) in six and a half hours, has appeared in a spate of TV commercials.

The state government says it also fears the long distances may be damaging the boy's heart and lungs.

His mentor, Biranchi Das, dismissed the fears, saying Budhia had regular medical check-ups.

Orissa's sports minister, Debashis Nayak, said the government would not be a mute spectator to the exploitation and would intervene, if necessary, to 'save his future'.

Budhia recently ran non-stop from the holy town of Puri to Bhubaneswar, a distance of 60km (37 miles).

A few days before that, he ran non-stop from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack - 35km.

During a recent visit to Orissa, former top Indian runner, PT Usha, also said running for 50 to 60km so frequently could have disastrous long-term consequences for Budhia's health"