A UK-based Odia woman surprised everybody after she ran a 42.5 km marathon at Manchester on Sunday wearing a Sambalpuri handloom saree. A high school teacher in Manchester and a member of the North West England Odia community, the 41 -year-old clad in a beautiful red saree and orange sneakers, completed the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes.
A Twitter user posted pictures of the woman running the marathon in a saree along with several other participants.
''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," read the caption of the post.
The official Twitter account of 'Friends of India Soc Intl UK' also shared a video of the marathon in which one can see the woman by the name Madhusmita Jena run comfortably in the saree.
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.''