She completed the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes.
A UK-based Odia woman made heads turn when she ran a 42.5 km marathon in Manchester on Sunday while wearing a Sambalpuri handloom saree. Clad in a beautiful red saree and orange sneakers, 41-year-old Madhusmita Jena Das completed the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes.
A Twitter user shared photos of the event that shows Mrs. Das participating in the marathon along with other participants.
The tweet reads, ''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 tribal and folk communities which have been coexisting for centuries. This is a tough phase let's keep up with peace and harmony.''
See the tweet here:
An Odia living in Manchester, UK ran the UK's second largest Manchester Marathon 2023 wearing a Sambalpuri Saree !
— dD@$h (@dashman207) April 18, 2023
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
— dp (@iamdipu21) April 18, 2023
The official Twitter account of 'Friends of India Soc Intl UK' also shared a video of the marathon that shows her comfortably running in a saree as her friends and family are heard cheering for her.
The tweet read, ''Madhusmita Jena, an Indian living in Manchester, UK, comfortably runs the 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.''
Madhusmita Jena, an Indian living in Manchester, UK, comfortably runs Manchester marathon 2023 in a lovely Sambalpuri Saree
— 🇬🇧FISIUK 🇮🇳(Friends of India Soc Intl UK) (@FISI_UK) April 17, 2023
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
Notably, she has run many marathons and ultra-marathons across the globe. With her latest feat, Mrs. Jena left the Odia community in the UK proud, and many appreciated her for showcasing Odisha's rich heritage. Many also noted how running in a saree is always a difficult task.
Reacting to the tweet, one user wrote, ''Nice, hopefully, we can see people wearing patta saree playing the US Open, and wearing Tashar silk saree competing in a triathlon some day.'' Another commented, ''Proud Moment.. Keep it Up Dear..''
A third said, ''Wow Such an adorable Pic to see. This how we should show our culture to the World, All those who are ready to wear foreign attire please learn from her.''
A fourth added, ''A fantastic achievement for an Odia marathoner from the UK, Madhusmita Jena, who ran Manchester marathon yesterday 16 Apr “wearing a Sari”. Running a full marathon of 42.2 km is a hard task; running it in a sari makes it very very difficult. But Madhu ran the full distance.''
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