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Saree Run debuts in California
The Huntington Beach event combined a saree-clad fun run with wellness workshops, cultural programming and South Asian community businesses.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 09, May 2026
- 19:02 EDT
- 35
Saree Run / sareerunusa.com
The first-ever Saree Run in the United States was held in Southern California this year, bringing the India-origin fitness movement to Huntington Beach with participants running and walking in sarees to celebrate culture, wellness and women’s empowerment.
Held at Huntington Beach Central Park East on April 26, the event featured a 5K fun run alongside yoga sessions, fitness workshops, wellness discussions, a speaker series, a fashion show and a South Asian vendor market. Organizers described the event as a celebration of “fitness without inhibitions.”
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The organisers said the event aimed to challenge traditional ideas around fitness and athletic wear by encouraging women to participate in physical activity while wearing sarees, one of South Asia’s most recognisable garments.
“Saree Run USA 2026 was such a success,” organisers wrote in an Instagram post after the event. “Even if you missed the event, we encourage you to explore what ‘fitness without inhibitions’ means to you.”
Videos shared online showed participants in brightly coloured sarees running through Huntington Beach, while one themed hydration station offered runners a choice between “pani” and “pani puri” near the finish line.
The Saree Run movement began in Bengaluru in 2016 after founder Pramod Deshpande, a running coach and tech consultant, noticed that women were underrepresented in fitness spaces despite increasing visibility in professional fields. According to organizers, the initiative encouraged women to begin exercising in attire they already felt comfortable wearing.
Since its launch, the movement has expanded across multiple Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad, drawing thousands of participants. Organizers said the 2026 US edition marked the 10-year commemoration of the initiative and its expansion into the United States.
The Huntington Beach event also highlighted the growing visibility of South Asian cultural events in Southern California, a region known for large-scale outdoor community gatherings and international sporting events.
Organisers said they hope to make the Saree Run an annual event in the United States and are also exploring the creation of a Saree Run club for regular community fitness activities.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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