London/Bhubaneswar: A UK-based Odia woman made heads turn when she ran a 42.5 km marathon in Manchester on Sunday 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 Jena 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.”
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.”
Notably, she has run many marathons and ultra-marathons across the globe. With her latest feat, 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 someday.” Another commented, “Proud Moment. Keep it Up, Dear..”
