These 4-year-old feet have already run thousands of kilometres. Budhia Singh is the youngest marathon runner in the world. He hasn't even started school, but already his fame has spread throughout India.
BUDHIA, (Translation): I love running. I don't get tired.
Budhia's phenomenal talent was discovered and nurtured here, in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the poorest state of India. Budhia was born in the slums of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa. Biranchi Das is the self-styled 'President of the Slums' - a local philanthropist who runs a community sports centre nearby.
BIRANCHI, COACH (Translation): Their life in the slums is so harsh. It's hard to describe. The place where Budhia's mother lives is 6x6 feet.
Aside from the crippling poverty here, these children are growing up in a toxic environment. The water in the ground is contaminated by waste and sewerage from the rapidly expanding city. Budhia's mother, Sukanti, has four children. Her three daughters sleep on this tiny dirt floor. Her husband died three years ago from alcohol abuse.
SUKANTI,BUDHIA'S MOTHER (Translation): He became careless and got hooked on the local brew. He'd have several a day, he didn't care about his kids.
BIRANCHI (Translation): When Budhia was one year old, his father used to beg at the Kalpana Square bus stop. Whatever he earned from begging, he spent it on his addiction. He died while begging at the bus stop.
When Budhia's father died, his mother was left destitute. Soon after, a vendor from a nearby town visited the slums. Budhia's mother sold her son to him for 800 rupees, or US$20. Selling children is illegal here, but it is certainly not unheard of.
SUKANTI (Translation): I sold Budhia to a street vendor. Budhia would have lived with the vendor for eight days at most. The coach asked where he was. I said I sold him. The coach paid 800 rupees to the vendor and got him back.
The coach was Biranchi Das. Biranchi gives judo lessons to Budhia's sister at his community sports centre. The centre teaches many of the children from these slums. Biranchi tracked down the vendor who had bought Budhia. He refunded the 800 rupees that the vendor had paid for the boy, and brought Budhia back to live at his centre.
Almost a year later, around Budhia's second birthday, his new guardian discovered the boy's incredible endurance.
BIRANCHI (Translation): Because Budhia comes from the slums, he's good at swearing. He started swearing at a judo student. To punish him, I asked him to run around the block. That was at 6am. When I came back at 1:00, he was still running. From his running style I could see similarities with a Kenyan marathon runner. From that day I could see his potential. I've been trying to make him a top marathon runner ever since.
It's an hour before dawn, and Budhia will be waking up soon. Every day, he goes through the same routine.
BUDHIA (Translation): In the morning I go to the loo and get ready. Then I have my breakfast and put on my shoes and go running.
His daily practice is to run on average 30km before noon, always accompanied by Biranchi or one of his helpers. After someone helps him with warm-up exercises, Biranchi laces up Budhia's boots and the little boy is ready to run. Budhia doesn't know how far he runs because he hasn't yet learned to count.
BIRANCHI (Translation): Some days he goes for 20km, other days for 30km. Right now he has the potential of running 85km. We have tested him running 85km. Budhia Singh is already a celebrity here. People are enchanted by his natural charisma and his running ability.
BUDHIA (Translation): When I grow up I want to be a marathon runner. I want to make my country India proud, my state of Orissa proud, India proud and my coach proud.
Few criticise Biranchi for imposing such rigorous training on such a young boy. But recently the State Government of Orissa has started to take notice, and they now feel that Biranchi is misusing his power over Budhia.
PRAMILA MALIK, MINISTER FOR CHILDREN (Translation): The boy is being misused. In a sense he's a small boy and he has limits. He's being pushed beyond his capacity. He should be studying, just because he runs well he is being pushed too far. He is forced to train well beyond what is healthy for a child. Is it OK to exploit him in exchange for food and comfort? Are we giving him anything for free? They take credit and cash in on his efforts.
Biranchi claims that he's not making any money from Budhia's celebrity. But anyone can see that this future athlete is a goldmine for sponsorships and for prize money.
REPORTER: There are people who have suggested that this is close to child abuse. How do you feel about that?
BIRANCHI, (Translation): Until now the Orissa Government has not helped Budhia in any way, outside or within Orissa. Neither Budhia nor I care about this. He'll continue to keep running.
Concerned about the health risks Budhia may be facing from so much running, the government has hired their own medical team to examine the little boy. Biranchi, who has consulted his own doctors privately, refuses to bring Budhia for a government examination.
PRAMILA MALIK (Translation): After the health check-up report is produced, then we'll see whether this child can continue to run like this, and the government has prepared a place for him to live and to study. But his coach is not cooperating. And we think his future is uncertain until his coach cooperates with us.
It's not only the impact on Budhia's joints and heart that is a concern - it's also his diet that seems potentially dangerous. Budhia eats like a full-grown high-performance athlete. His meals are heavily supplemented with muscle-building protein and raw glucose. His trainer insists that Budhia is healthy, and that he is being supervised by a qualified dietician.
BIRANCHI (Translation): We massage him immediately after he's finished. Then he eats whatever the dietician has recommended.
TRANSLATOR, (Translation): Does the doctor come and see you?
BUDHIA (Translation): Yes, he checks me up.
After his running and a full meal, Budhia is massaged with special oil and herbs to ease his muscles. Then he and the other children bathe together in the large tank behind the sports centre. Not even Budhia's mother seems concerned about the impact that all this has on the boy's body.
SUKANTI (Translation): When I went and asked him if anything bad is happening to your leg, hand, belly, and head - he says feels fine.
The fact that Biranchi bought Budhia does not make him the boy's legal guardian. But the government is not about to send Budhia back to his mother, and for now there are no plans to launch any legal action against his trainer.
PRAMILA MALIK (Translation): We are not talking about taking action against anyone, we are focusing on the future of the boy, and the department is taking care of this.
Aside from the rigors of training, little Budhia insists that he's always treated well in the centre.
TRANSLATOR, (Translation): Do you have any difficulty living with Biranchi?
BUDHIA (Translation): No difficulty, nothing, no, never.
Budhia's training has only started - he can't even legally compete in international events until he's 12 - another eight years from now.
BIRANCHI(Translation): We're aiming at him running 42km as fast as possible to break the world record for 42km. I am now going to make him run 100km, then I'll reduce it to 42km while making him increase his speed.
SUKANTI (Translation): Wherever he lives, I want him to be a good man. It's his coach who made him so famous.
TRANSLATOR (Translation): What do you think of your teacher Biranchi?
BUDHIA (Translation): I want to make his name very famous.
But the road ahead for this little marathon runner is long indeed - no-one knows whether he will ever live up to the great expectations of his trainer and all those who shout his name as he runs down the streets of Bhubaneshwar.
BUDHIA, (Translation): I love running. I don't get tired.
Budhia's phenomenal talent was discovered and nurtured here, in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the poorest state of India. Budhia was born in the slums of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa. Biranchi Das is the self-styled 'President of the Slums' - a local philanthropist who runs a community sports centre nearby.
BIRANCHI, COACH (Translation): Their life in the slums is so harsh. It's hard to describe. The place where Budhia's mother lives is 6x6 feet.
Aside from the crippling poverty here, these children are growing up in a toxic environment. The water in the ground is contaminated by waste and sewerage from the rapidly expanding city. Budhia's mother, Sukanti, has four children. Her three daughters sleep on this tiny dirt floor. Her husband died three years ago from alcohol abuse.
SUKANTI,BUDHIA'S MOTHER (Translation): He became careless and got hooked on the local brew. He'd have several a day, he didn't care about his kids.
BIRANCHI (Translation): When Budhia was one year old, his father used to beg at the Kalpana Square bus stop. Whatever he earned from begging, he spent it on his addiction. He died while begging at the bus stop.
When Budhia's father died, his mother was left destitute. Soon after, a vendor from a nearby town visited the slums. Budhia's mother sold her son to him for 800 rupees, or US$20. Selling children is illegal here, but it is certainly not unheard of.
SUKANTI (Translation): I sold Budhia to a street vendor. Budhia would have lived with the vendor for eight days at most. The coach asked where he was. I said I sold him. The coach paid 800 rupees to the vendor and got him back.
The coach was Biranchi Das. Biranchi gives judo lessons to Budhia's sister at his community sports centre. The centre teaches many of the children from these slums. Biranchi tracked down the vendor who had bought Budhia. He refunded the 800 rupees that the vendor had paid for the boy, and brought Budhia back to live at his centre.
Almost a year later, around Budhia's second birthday, his new guardian discovered the boy's incredible endurance.
BIRANCHI (Translation): Because Budhia comes from the slums, he's good at swearing. He started swearing at a judo student. To punish him, I asked him to run around the block. That was at 6am. When I came back at 1:00, he was still running. From his running style I could see similarities with a Kenyan marathon runner. From that day I could see his potential. I've been trying to make him a top marathon runner ever since.
It's an hour before dawn, and Budhia will be waking up soon. Every day, he goes through the same routine.
BUDHIA (Translation): In the morning I go to the loo and get ready. Then I have my breakfast and put on my shoes and go running.
His daily practice is to run on average 30km before noon, always accompanied by Biranchi or one of his helpers. After someone helps him with warm-up exercises, Biranchi laces up Budhia's boots and the little boy is ready to run. Budhia doesn't know how far he runs because he hasn't yet learned to count.
BIRANCHI (Translation): Some days he goes for 20km, other days for 30km. Right now he has the potential of running 85km. We have tested him running 85km. Budhia Singh is already a celebrity here. People are enchanted by his natural charisma and his running ability.
BUDHIA (Translation): When I grow up I want to be a marathon runner. I want to make my country India proud, my state of Orissa proud, India proud and my coach proud.
Few criticise Biranchi for imposing such rigorous training on such a young boy. But recently the State Government of Orissa has started to take notice, and they now feel that Biranchi is misusing his power over Budhia.
PRAMILA MALIK, MINISTER FOR CHILDREN (Translation): The boy is being misused. In a sense he's a small boy and he has limits. He's being pushed beyond his capacity. He should be studying, just because he runs well he is being pushed too far. He is forced to train well beyond what is healthy for a child. Is it OK to exploit him in exchange for food and comfort? Are we giving him anything for free? They take credit and cash in on his efforts.
Biranchi claims that he's not making any money from Budhia's celebrity. But anyone can see that this future athlete is a goldmine for sponsorships and for prize money.
REPORTER: There are people who have suggested that this is close to child abuse. How do you feel about that?
BIRANCHI, (Translation): Until now the Orissa Government has not helped Budhia in any way, outside or within Orissa. Neither Budhia nor I care about this. He'll continue to keep running.
Concerned about the health risks Budhia may be facing from so much running, the government has hired their own medical team to examine the little boy. Biranchi, who has consulted his own doctors privately, refuses to bring Budhia for a government examination.
PRAMILA MALIK (Translation): After the health check-up report is produced, then we'll see whether this child can continue to run like this, and the government has prepared a place for him to live and to study. But his coach is not cooperating. And we think his future is uncertain until his coach cooperates with us.
It's not only the impact on Budhia's joints and heart that is a concern - it's also his diet that seems potentially dangerous. Budhia eats like a full-grown high-performance athlete. His meals are heavily supplemented with muscle-building protein and raw glucose. His trainer insists that Budhia is healthy, and that he is being supervised by a qualified dietician.
BIRANCHI (Translation): We massage him immediately after he's finished. Then he eats whatever the dietician has recommended.
TRANSLATOR, (Translation): Does the doctor come and see you?
BUDHIA (Translation): Yes, he checks me up.
After his running and a full meal, Budhia is massaged with special oil and herbs to ease his muscles. Then he and the other children bathe together in the large tank behind the sports centre. Not even Budhia's mother seems concerned about the impact that all this has on the boy's body.
SUKANTI (Translation): When I went and asked him if anything bad is happening to your leg, hand, belly, and head - he says feels fine.
The fact that Biranchi bought Budhia does not make him the boy's legal guardian. But the government is not about to send Budhia back to his mother, and for now there are no plans to launch any legal action against his trainer.
PRAMILA MALIK (Translation): We are not talking about taking action against anyone, we are focusing on the future of the boy, and the department is taking care of this.
Aside from the rigors of training, little Budhia insists that he's always treated well in the centre.
TRANSLATOR, (Translation): Do you have any difficulty living with Biranchi?
BUDHIA (Translation): No difficulty, nothing, no, never.
Budhia's training has only started - he can't even legally compete in international events until he's 12 - another eight years from now.
BIRANCHI(Translation): We're aiming at him running 42km as fast as possible to break the world record for 42km. I am now going to make him run 100km, then I'll reduce it to 42km while making him increase his speed.
SUKANTI (Translation): Wherever he lives, I want him to be a good man. It's his coach who made him so famous.
TRANSLATOR (Translation): What do you think of your teacher Biranchi?
BUDHIA (Translation): I want to make his name very famous.
But the road ahead for this little marathon runner is long indeed - no-one knows whether he will ever live up to the great expectations of his trainer and all those who shout his name as he runs down the streets of Bhubaneshwar.