'I want to set record for marathon run in a sari'

TL;DR

Madhusmita Jena aims to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run in a sari, targeting a finish time under three hours and 50 minutes. The current record is held by Kranti Salvi, who completed the Berlin Marathon in 2018 in three hours, 57 minutes, and seven seconds.

Key points

Madhusmita Jena aims to break the fastest marathon record in a sari
Target finish time is under three hours and 50 minutes
Current record held by Kranti Salvi since September 2018

Mentioned in this story

Madhusmita JenaKranti SalviStockportGreater Manchester

Berlin Marathon

Madhusmita Jena, who is smiling at the camera, is sitting in the BBC Radio Manchester studio with a sign behind her which reads: 26.2 Ways To Run A Marathon.

Madhusmita hopes to finish the race in under three hours and 50 minutes [BBC]

A mother-of-two is hoping to beat the Guinness World Record for running the fastest marathon in a sari.

Madhusmita Jena, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said she wanted to "empower women from all ethnic backgrounds from around the world to race in whatever they feel comfortable in".

The current record was set by Kranti Salvi from India, who ran the Berlin Marathon in Germany in three hours, 57 minutes and seven seconds in September 2018.

This will be the 42nd full marathon that Madhusmita, 46, has run and her sixth time running the route in Manchester.

"I started running just to kind of get out of the house and get a bit of me time," said the special educational needs teacher.

"It's become part of my life and I always have a marathon to run because it gives me something to work towards."

She ran her first marathon just seven months after her first son was born.

Madhusmita Jena is running in a red embellished sari.

Madhusmita has adapted the way she drapes the six-yard sari so it does not catch on her feet [Madhusmita Jena]

Madhusmita will be wearing a red and cream hand-loomed sari with a running belt over the top on Sunday.

She hopes that by attempting this Guinness World Record, she can prove that running can be done in any type of clothing.

"When I first [started running in a sari] my parents even thought I was a bit crazy but I didn't realise it would inspire people in India to start running.

"Since then I think my parents are obviously very proud."