8-Year-Old Marathoner's Father Denies Abuse

The father of the Chinese girl who ran more than 2,000 miles in honor of the Beijing Olympics is being accused of child abuse. Experts say her grueling schedule--more than 40 miles a day--was dangerous even for an adult, but the girl's father is defiant. "She is always healthy around me and never said her legs hurt," he told Reuters today.

Huimin awoke each day at 2:30am to train for the run. Her father followed her all the way on a motorized bike, saying that she only rode with him twice--once when a road was too steep and once when she was chased by a pack of wild dogs. "Running makes me happy," she says. (More Zhang Huimin stories.)