Summary Her goal is to empower women of all ethnic backgrounds to prioritise their wellbeing and exercise in clothing that makes them feel comfortable.
(Web Desk) – A mother-of-two will attempt to set a Guinness World Record by running the Manchester Marathon in a saree.
Special educational needs teacher Madhusmita Jena hopes to complete the race in under three hours and 50 minutes.
Her goal is to empower women of all ethnic backgrounds to prioritise their wellbeing and exercise in clothing that makes them feel comfortable.
Madhusmita said: “My initial motivation for running in a saree was to represent Indian culture and heritage, but it’s since blossomed into promoting how women can run in whatever makes them feel most comfortable.”
Born in England and raised in Saudi Arabia, Madhusmita has lived in countries including Dubai and Bahrain. Throughout her running journey, she has championed inclusivity and cultural representation.
She has advocated for women wearing hijabs to run in Egypt, which inspired ‘saree runs’ in villages across India.
Madhusmita hopes her Guinness World Record attempt will prove that running can be done in any type of clothing.
India’s Kranti Salvi is the current record holder. She ran the 2018 Berlin Marathon in a red nine-yard saree, completing it in three hours, 57 minutes, and seven seconds.
Madhusmita added: “Achieving this record in England would give me the platform to show British Asians, and by extension, women globally just what they can achieve for themselves.”
