KENDRAPADA: One would normally not associate someone wearing a sari with athletic pursuits.
However, Madhusmita Jena had other ideas. Clad in a Sambalpuri handloom sari, the 41-year-old Kendrapada native, who is now settled in the UK, took part in Sunday's Manchester marathon.
An avid marathon runner, Madhusmita completed the 42.5-kilometre course in 4 hours and 50 minutes and was encouraged by her family members, crowd and other participants. "I was the only person to run wearing a sari. It was a fantastic achievement. Running a full marathon is a hard task and doing so in a sari makes it even more difficult. But I ran the full distance in a respectable time," said a delighted Madhusmita over phone.
Asked what made her run the marathon in a sari, Madhusmita said, I have seen my mother and grandmother wear sari every day. Many believe that sari-clad women cannot run. But I proved them wrong by running a marathon wearing a Sambalpuri handloom sari," said Madhusmita.
A high school teacher in Manchester, Madhusmita is an active member of North West England Odia community. She has taken part in marathons and ultra-marathons across the globe. It is for the first time that she ran a marathon wearing a sari.