A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl from a remote village in eastern India has become the country’s latest under-age long-distance runner in a growing craze that has prompted allegations of abuse and exploitation.

Anastasia Barla ran 72 kilometres (45 miles) in the state of Orissa on Monday in sweltering heat before she was forced to stop because of exhaustion.

The girl had been attempting to break the 100km barrier in an effort to outshine Budhia Singh, the four-year-old boy who made world headlines in May when he covered a distance of 65 kilometres in seven hours and two minutes.

Her attempt was invalidated at the 58km mark when she took a five-minute break. Dominque Lakra, her coach, claimed that she had previously run for 12 hours non-stop but was unused to running on roads. “The girl is comfortable on soil, which is soft,” she said.

Budhia, also from Orissa, ran non-stop to earn a place in the Limca Book of Records India for his remarkable feat of endurance. But the run prompted an outcry from child welfare agencies. Doctors who examined Budhia said that he was in danger of suffering renal failure if he continued to run such long distances.

His achievement made him a national celebrity and has provoked dangerous copycat attempts. In Bombay last week Mrityunjay Mandal, 8, collapsed 11 kilometres short of his 80km target and was admitted to intensive care.

Anastasia was sponsored by Gregory Minz, a local politician and former hockey star. He said that no one had tried to prevent her running and the public supported her. “Anastasia was greeted and cheered by common people at different points on the way,” he said. “She will make another attempt during winter, when she will not be affected by high temperature and humidity.”

Marathon experts maintain that children under 10 should not run more than 15 miles a week. The minimum age for competing in international marathons — a distance of 26.2 miles (42km) — is 18.

But, despite pressure from legislators, the trend shows no sign of abating as parents in rural India see an opportunity to escape poverty through their children. Another boy from Orissa, Dilip Rana, is also planning a 100km run.

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