“The Great North Run is the world’s biggest half marathon with 60,000 running on the day. It is a bucket list event, which I haven’t completed yet. I have done tougher challenges than this so I had to think out of the box to make it harder and something people would want to donate towards,” says Krishan.
“I wanted to wear something different for the fancy dress side of the challenge and something that was a nod towards my Indian heritage’” he continues. “As this is a ladies' dress, it is something that stands out and makes people take notice and want to support me. I hope it will also help raise awareness for muscle wasting conditions and make a difference.”
Krishan adds:
Men wearing saris is not common and when I have been wearing it out on practice runs people do notice, point and smile. I hope by doing this I also bring a bit of joy and happiness to people’s day, even if it’s at my own embarrassment!
A record-breaking run
Krishan will be sporting his late grandmother’s orange sari – a traditional Indian form of ladies' dress – in the first Guinness World Record attempt for fastest men’s half marathon completed wearing the traditional women’s dress.
Although Krishan is a keen sportsman, the sari adds an extra challenge due to the design of the large single cloth which is pleated and wrapped around the waist and then around the torso over the shoulder, affecting his stride length.
“The Great North Run may not be as difficult in terms of distance, but I have a time constraint to get a world record and also a very unfamiliar form of dress around me which will make it a tough challenge for sure,” says Krishan.
In order to qualify for the Guinness World Record, he must complete the half marathon – 13.1 miles – in the competitive time of under two hours, while wearing the sari the entire time. His cousin, Rajiv Solanki, is running with him to record photo evidence.
Supporting his sister
Krishan is dedicated to fundraising for muscle-wasting conditions to support his 30-year-old sister, Anjali, who has congenital muscular dystrophy, and others like her. The condition has significantly impacted Anjali’s life. Congenital muscular dystrophy is present from birth, meaning Anjali has never been able to walk.
Krishan will donate the money to Muscular Dystrophy UK, where he works as the Head of Events and Regional Development.
“I hope that by [completing the Guinness World Record attempt] people will look up muscular dystrophy and see what the charity does and how they can help. The condition and charity are not as well-known as they should be, so any extra awareness I can raise will be fantastic,” he says.
Krishan will be tackling the Great North Run along with 60,000 other runners on Sunday 11 September 2022.
To support Krishan and his world record attempt for Muscular Dystrophy UK, head to his fundraising page.