ORLANDO, Fla. -- A 5-year-old Jacksonville boy who lost his leg when he was a baby recently ran for the first time after being fitted with a new, state-of-the-art prosthetic leg.

Tim Houston, whose left leg was amputated at the mid-thigh after suffering an injury days after he was born, was provided the prosthetic leg through grant money and Prosthetic and Orthotic Associates in Orlando.

Tim already had a prosthetic leg but could not run with it. His new leg, which has a flexible knee and a spring in the heel, was built specifically for Tim, who trained for weeks before learning to run with it.

"His old prosthetic as opposed to the new one would be the difference between a Ferrari and a Buick," Jim Houston, Tim's father, said.

Local 6 News showed Tim running in a recent race, where he was encouraged by other runners while holding his mother's hand.

"It's easier than I thought it would be," Tim said.

"It was amazing. He was keeping up with my wife and my older son and it was a joy to be able to see him do that," Jim Houston said.