KARACHI: Pakistani runners delivered spectacular performances at Sunday’s Sydney Marathon, the primary version of the occasion since its elevation to Abbott World Marathon Main standing, with Karachi’s Faisal Shafi setting a Guinness World File of working in a light-weight navy uniform to honour the nation’s armed forces.
The race, now the seventh member of the distinguished marathon majors sequence alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York, took runners on a scenic tour of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks.
The course wound previous the Opera Home, throughout the Harbour Bridge, by way of the Royal Botanic Backyard and alongside the picturesque waterfront of Sydney Cove.
Faisal Shafi accomplished the difficult 42.195-kilometre course in three hours, 40 minutes and 13 seconds whereas sporting mild navy gear, establishing what the Guinness World Data confirmed as a brand new world report for the class.
His achievement highlighted a robust exhibiting by Pakistan’s working group on this historic inaugural main marathon.
“It was a perfect time to pay tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces, our martyrs, and the immense sacrifices of our troopers,” Shafi advised Geo Information after his feat, including: “I’m proud to have completed that as a civilian on this international stage”.
Faisal highlighted that it was a military-inspired uniform designed specifically for the occasion however working whereas sporting the uniform was not a simple process.
In the meantime, the quickest Pakistani finisher on the Sydney Marathon 2025 on Sunday was Australian-based Ali Zaidi, who clocked 3:05:33 to guide the contingent. He was adopted by Islamabad’s Bilal Ehsan, who posted 3:15:03 as the highest performer amongst runners who traveled from Pakistan particularly for the occasion.
Fahd Mukhtar, Hamid Butt and Bacha Hussain had been additionally among the many high performers from Pakistan on Sunday’s Sydney Marathon.
Shafi’s efficiency additionally earned him his seventh star within the Abbott World Marathon Majors sequence, becoming a member of seven different Pakistani runners who achieved the identical milestone in Sydney’s debut as a serious marathon.
The course, identified for its difficult hills, significantly within the later levels round Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and Artwork Gallery Street, examined runners’ endurance with its undulating terrain.
The elite group of Pakistani seventh-star achievers included Fahd Mukhtar from Multan (3:29:21), Hamid Butt from Lahore (3:34:26), Huma Rahman from the UK (3:38:09), Dr. Salman Khan from the USA (3:39:50), Jamal Khan from the USA (4:10:10), Yusra Bokhari from the USA (5:13:49) and Ziyad Raheem from the UK (5:37:01).
Following her achievement, Pakistani American runner Bokhari mentioned that being amongst the primary Seven Star Finishers was an incredible honour for her.
“As a Muslim and a Pakistani girl. Finishing my six-star journey was a really difficult purpose — which appeared elusive for a few years.
“So making it to the primary working of the Sydney Marathon as a serious and incomes Seven Star Finisher standing — on such a troublesome course — is an absolute blessing and a dream,” she mentioned whereas talking to Geo Information.
Amongst the 36 Pakistani runners, there have been 10 Pakistani girls as properly who accomplished the marathon efficiently, led by British-Pakistani runner Huma Rahman, who completed in 3:38:09. Different notable performances got here from Norway-based Khoula Ahmed (3:52:53), UK’s Semeena Khan (4:10:07) and Rawalpindi’s Neelab Kayani (4:10:28).
Geo Information’ anchor Muhammad Junaid additionally accomplished the course in 4:04:09, amongst 36 Pakistani and abroad Pakistani runners who completed the race.
A complete of 16 Pakistani runners accomplished the marathon in underneath 4 hours, demonstrating the rising depth of Pakistan’s working group.
The Sydney Marathon’s inclusion because the seventh world main marathon marks a major enlargement of the Abbott World Marathon Majors sequence, bringing elite worldwide marathon working to Australia for the primary time within the circuit’s historical past.
Operating time of Pakistani athletes
- Ali Zaidi (Australia) — 3:05:33
- Bilal Ehsan (Islamabad) — 3:15:03
- Fahd Mukhtar (Multan) — 3:29:21 (Seventh Star)
- Ammar Mumtaz (Islamabad) – 3:34:02
- Hamid Butt (Lahore) — 3:34:26 (Seventh Star)
- Bacha Hussain (Karachi) – 3:36:20
- Huma Rahman (UK) — 3:38:09 (Seventh Star)
- Dr. Salman Khan (US) — 3:39:50 (Seventh Star)
- Fasih Al Saleh (Norway) — 3:39:50
- Faisal Shafi (Karachi) — 3:40:13 (Seventh Star, World File)
- Yawar Siddiqui (Islamabad) — 3:44:16
- Asad Jafri (Sydney) — 3:47:03
- Sijal Ahmad (Sydney) — 3:52:06
- Abu-Bakr Mohammad Afzal (UK) — 3:52:20
- Ammar Zia (UK) — 3:52:27
- Khoula Ahmed (Norway) — 3:52:53
- Muhammad Junaid (Karachi) — 4:04:09
- Semeena Khan (UK) — 4:10:07
- Jamal Khan (US) — 4:10:10 (Seventh Star)
- Neelab Kayani (Rawalpindi) — 4:10:28
- Wahab Sidhu — 4:13:31
- Hasan Saud Hasnie — 4:14:24
- Ali Habib (Australia) — 4:19:04
- Rabab Ahmed — 4:20:02
- Zawar (UK) — 4:21:53
- Nida Yawar (Islamabad) — 4:23:31
- Imran Zaffar (UK) — 4:32:38
- Maeen Uddin (UAE) — 4:55:56
- Hamad Ali (UK) — 4:56:02
- Yusra Bokhari (US) — 5:13:49 (Seventh Star)
- Dr Ahmad Zubair (UK) — 5:30:02
- Shazia Nawaz (US) — 5:30:03
- Ziyad Raheem (UK) — 5:37:01 (Seventh Star)
- Ahmer Khan (Austria) — 5:39:52
- Aylia Zaidi (US) — 5:47:32
- Sabba Mirza (UK) — 6:04:22
