Can you say child abuse? Man forces eight year old daughter to run 3,558 kilometers in 55 days.

[ohiosmith]

An eight-year-old completed a 55-day run Sunday morning that saw her cover 3,558 kilometers from the capital of Hainan Province to Beijing, the Beijing Times reported.

Along with her 54-year-old father, Zhang Huimin ran through the provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Henan and Hebei - a trip that has created more than a little controversy.

Zhang refused to talk to reporters on Sunday due to media criticism of her run.

"She liked to be interviewed when we began the journey on July 3 from Haikou (Hainan's provincial capital)," said her father Zhang Jianmin. "But since August, critical reports increased and she was greatly impacted."

Zhang Jianmin has been criticized for forcing his daughter to endure intense training that a sports school director says threatens her future health, but he claims he doesn't care what other people think.

"A man in Guangzhou City jumped off the bus when he saw us running beside the road, and he intended to slap my face in return for my cruelness to my daughter," he recalled.

"But when he followed us for some time, he became to understand me," said the father."I am her father and I care about her health more than anyone.''

Zhang Huimin developed a cough when she began the marathon and she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, said the report. The girl is 125-centimeters tall and weighs just 20.6 kilograms.

The run was funded by a 15,000 yuan (US$1,984) donation from Hainan's sports bureau and several companies in the island province.

The father signed a 20,000-yuan contract with a sports shoe company on July 9. His daughter will be the company's spokesperson for one year, but Zhang Jianmin denied allegations that he took advantage of his daughter to make money, saying they needed the money to finish the run, the report said.

The father said he saw great potential in his daughter when she finished second in a marathon in Haikou earlier this year. He has big plans for the little runner.

"I hope she can compete in the 2016 Olympic Games," said the father.

Zhang's training routine includes a 30- to 40-kilometer run each day between 3 am and 7 am. She does more exercises after school.

Zhang's wife left him due to his tough training of the girl.Critics say the father, a pig farmer, is trying to live out his athletic dream through is daughter.

The father admitted Zhang Huimin sometimes failed to concentrate on school work and that she doesn't get good marks. Still, he said five-hours of sleep a night and two hours in the afternoon were enough for his daughter.

"Zhang Huimin will run from Lhasa in Tibet to Shanghai next summer vacation," he promised.

[Orrex]

1. I would walk five hundred miles and I would walk five hundred more.

But running 2,223.75 seems a little excessive.

[supernova]

2. I would be concerned that she doesn't sleep enough

An eight year old on 6/hours a night and 2 hours in the afternoon? That's not enough.

I'm also dubious that she really wants to run THAT much, consistently.