“My objective was to showcase sari apparel of Indian women.”
Madhusmita Jena wearing sari and running marathon [Photo:SNS]
A 41-year-old UK-based Odia woman took part in a 42.5 kilometer-long marathon by wearing a sari in Manchester city, drawing attention from one and all in the island nation.
Madhusmita Jena, having ancestral roots in Kusupur village in Cuttack district and now a British citizen, aroused the crowd’s curiosity as she trekked along the marathon route. Jena, who wore Sambalpuri sari, took four hours and 50 minutes to cover 42.5 kilometres.
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“I was the lone participant to run the marathon wearing a sari. It was an exhilarating experience, which will be treasured in memory. My objective was to showcase sari apparel of Indian women,” she said over phone from Manchester.
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“It was difficult to cover the race by wearing a saree. However I completed the run with encouragement from the crowd,” she added.
“I used to wear a sari on summer days in Britain. I have proved the misconceptions wrong that sari-clad women can not run. Wearing a sari does not come in the way of my daily exercise,” she concluded.
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