Indian Forrest Gump

Cheered by thousands, a four-year-old boy dubbed "India's Forrest Gump" ran 65 kilometres (40 miles) Tuesday in setting what his coach said was a national and mostly likely a world record.

Budhia Singh, a slum resident from the eastern state of Orissa whose talent was discovered by the local sports coach, was escorted by doctors and 300 cadets of the Central Reserve Police Force, which plans to sponsor his upbringing.

Budhia had planned to run 70 kilometres, but doctors stopped him after 65 kilometres when he showed signs of extreme exhaustion.

Officials of Limca Book of Records, India's best-known record book, witnessed the run and said it would be included in its 2007 edition, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

"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."

The boy offered prayers before dawn at Jagannath Temple, a deeply revered Hindu shrine in Puri town, and then began his run to Bhubaneswar, the state capital, on a highway lined with palm trees. Thousands stood along the road, cheering him on.

Das said the boy would have completed the 70 kilometres if he hadn'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.

Budhia's father is dead and his mother, unable to support him, was about to sell him to another villager two years ago when he was rescued by the coach.

"Poverty had driven Budhia's mother to sell the fatherless kid to another person when me and my wife reached the slum and rescued him," Das said.

The coach had earlier seen Budhia's talent when the boy accidentally entered a sports ground without permission, and was told to run laps as punishment. When the coach returned five hours later, the boy was still running.

Budhia has gained swift popularity in India. He is being likened by the Indian news media to Forrest Gump, the fictional book and movie character who is ridiculed by peers for using leg braces, but overcomes his disability when he discovers that he can "run like the wind blows."

"I loved running today. I can run as much as I want," the Budhia told reporters after the run.

Then he sucked his thumb.