Indian Woman Participates In 42 km Marathon Wearing Saree

News Desk

United Kingdom: A 41-year-old high school teacher Madh Smita Jena from India participated in a marathon held in Manchester wearing a traditional saree for the first time and completed the 42-kilometer marathon.

She completed the 42.5km race in four hours and 50 minutes, while others were wearing sports kits.

Very few people consider sarees the ideal attire for playing sports or running marathons because sarees create difficulty in movement, but a British woman broke this wrong trend by wearing sarees in a marathon.

An Odia living in Manchester, UK ran the UK’s second largest Manchester Marathon 2023 wearing a Sambalpuri Saree !

What a great gesture indeed 👏
Loved her spirit 👍#Sambalpur you have a distinct inclusive cultural identity that arises from the strong association of the… pic.twitter.com/zqsUtQcO4e

— dD@$h (@dashman207) April 18, 2023

After her success in the race, pictures of Madh Samita Jena started going viral on social media, where people also made interesting comments congratulating her.

Smita Jena said, “I was the only woman who participated in the race wearing a saree. It’s more difficult to do, but I’m happy that I managed to complete the four-and-a-half-hour race.”

Teacher Jena stated that she chose to wear a saree after being inspired by her grandmother and mother, who always wore a saree in front of her, adding that “most people think that women cannot run in a saree, but I have proved them wrong because living in the UK, I always wear a saree in summer.”

Madhusmita Jena, an Indian living in Manchester, UK, comfortably runs Manchester marathon 2023 in a lovely Sambalpuri Saree
While proudly showcasing her Indian heritage, she also presents an inviting perspective on the quintessential #Indian attire@HCI_London @iglobal_news pic.twitter.com/Thp9gkhWRz

— 🇬🇧FISIUK 🇮🇳(Friends of India Soc Intl UK) (@FISI_UK) April 17, 2023

Samita’s achievement has made the UK-based Odia community and fellow runners proud.

She is an experienced marathon runner who has participated in several marathons around the world. Many admired the determination and passion of Madh Samita, and his achievement was an inspiration to many.