Odia woman Madhusmita Jena runs in UK marathon wearing Sambalpuri saree [Video]

Bhubaneswar: It was a never-seen-before moment for the participants and spectators of Manchester Marathon held on Sunday as Odisha’s Madhusmita Jena ran 42.5 km being draped in a Sambalpuri handloom saree.

Breaking stereotypes, the 41-year-old UK-based Odia woman showcased Odisha’s heritage and drew applause from various quarters by doing so. She completed the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes.

Madhusmita works as a high school teacher in Manchester. She is also an active member of North West England Odia community. She had participated in several marathon across the world in the past.

“It is a challenging task to complete a marathon and to do so wearing a saree is even tougher. I am happy that I completed the marathon successfully,” said Madhusmita, who hails from Kusupur village in Kendrapara district.

“I proved them wrong who think that women cannot run wearing sarees,” she added.

The Odia community in the UK has praised the unique effort and feat of the woman.

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Video Courtesy: FISIUK