Netizens across the country were recently captivated by images and videos from an event in Bengaluru. Over 1,000 women, dressed in colorful sarees and sneakers, were seen taking part in a marathon at the 18th Cross, Malleshwaram Grounds, Bengaluru. Event organizers reportedly revealed that this particular group of women took to running, jogging and walking throughout the marathon in order to bust one of the biggest myths associated with fitness, which is that you can only engage in fitness activities in western clothes.
An aeronautical engineer, Sanjeev, attended the event and posted images and videos of the saris-clad women on Twitter. Shared Tweets then garnered thousands of likes, retweets and comments. Sanjeev reported that the event was hosted by Jayanagar Jaguars, one of the biggest running academies in Bengaluru. The event was exclusively organized to promote women who feel most comfortable in saris to walk, jog and run for a distance of three to five kilometers on September 18, 2022.
The organizers revealed that many women feel that fitness activities are a privilege for those who wear sportswear, shorts and other fitness clothes. This significantly inhibits them from participating in fitness activities themselves. The event was a method to help women gain confidence, while breaking those stereotypes at the same time.