CHENNAI | In a sea of drapes, weaves, and colours, women come together for a sari marathon

Women participate in a unique 'Saree Marathon' near Olcott Memorial Higher Secondary School, breaking taboos and promoting menstrual hygiene awareness.

Weekends  are never dull or quiet near Olcott Memorial Higher Secondary School, a stretch that sees marathons, walks and rallies in quick succession. When we head there early on Sunday, one side of the road has been taken over by a large group of students in matching white tees. On the other, a large group of women wait for a checkered flag to announce the start of their marathon. Every woman there was in a saree – in different weaves and colours, and draped in different styles. 

“We often have small competitions and fun activities after events and festivals at home. I have worn this sari and even played tug-of-war,” said Rashmi Chanjachanda, showing off her Coorg -style sari drape. “I am very comfortable in this, and am excited to see how this holds up through the marathon,” she laughed. 

Ahead of the Saree Marathon, women like her congregated in large groups, clicked photos, and swapped sari stories. The allure of the sari and participating with their friendsdecked up in their traditional best was what brought many women together, to participate in this women’s-only marathon aimed at creating awareness about menstrual hygiene organised by The French Door. The participants could either walk or run through a three- kilometre stretch. 

Poornima Jha, Niharika Vennala, Kamala Kalyanakrishnan, and Krithika Vikas, a group of friends said that the opportunity to wear a sari for this was what made them sign up as a group. “It is a new experience for me. I have run full marathons in the past, and was intrigued how this would be,” Poornima said. While Krithika, who loves experimenting with drapes turned to the Internet for inspiration to drape her sari, Kamala chose a dhoti-style drape for her soft cotton sari. “As a yoga teacher and therapist, I have several students, especially senior citizens, come to class in a sari. If you are comfortable in a sari, just wear it to work out as well,” said Niharika. 

Not too far away, Neha Mahida and her friends were adding  last minute touches to their saris – fastening it with pins, wearing belts and making sure the six yards would stay in place through the course of the marathon. “We picked a colour each to wear, and I have been duly warned not to trip over my sari. My leggings and shoes will hopefully help,” Neha said.

Seasoned runners like Neha, who were trying to run for the first time in a sari turned to hacks to make the experience a lot more comfortable – wearing shorter saris, draping it over their trusty pair of running tights, or even swapping out the blouse for a tank top. For others like Sundarambal Sairamesh, a banker and long distance runner who has completed marathons in the past wearing saris, different distances meant different drapes. “For a short distance marathon like this one, I decided to go with a South Indian short sari drape,” she said, pointing to her colourful, bright sari. Dhoti-style saris, she said, are very comfortable for longer distances. 

The offbeat choice of outfits did not seem to matter. While many began a brisk walk, several others jogged, and soon picked up pace – a sea of women in colourful caps and saris set off down Besant Avenue. It wasn’t long enough before the first set of women ran back to the starting point to complete their running circuit, faces flushed and happy.