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 operating in a lightweight army uniform to honour the nation’s armed forces.
The race, now the seventh member of the celebrated 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, via 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 carrying mild army gear, establishing what the Guinness World Information confirmed as a brand new world report for the class.
His achievement highlighted a robust displaying by Pakistan’s operating neighborhood on this historic inaugural main marathon.
Faisal highlighted that it was a military-inspired uniform designed specifically for the occasion however operating whereas carrying the uniform was not a straightforward job.
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.Â
The course, identified for its difficult hills, notably within the later phases round Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and Artwork Gallery Highway, 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).
Pakistani American runner Yusra Bokhari. — Reporter
“As a Muslim and a Pakistani girl. Finishing my six-star journey was a really difficult purpose — which appeared elusive for a few years.
Amongst the 36 Pakistani runners, there have been 10 Pakistani ladies as nicely 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).
A complete of 16 Pakistani runners accomplished the marathon in below 4 hours, demonstrating the rising depth of Pakistan’s operating neighborhood.
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 operating to Australia for the primary time within the circuit’s historical past.
Working time of Pakistani athletesAli Zaidi (Australia) — 3:05:33Bilal Ehsan (Islamabad) — 3:15:03Fahd Mukhtar (Multan) — 3:29:21 (Seventh Star)Ammar Mumtaz (Islamabad) – 3:34:02Hamid Butt (Lahore) — 3:34:26 (Seventh Star)Bacha Hussain (Karachi) – 3:36:20Huma Rahman (UK) — 3:38:09 (Seventh Star)Dr. Salman Khan (US) — 3:39:50 (Seventh Star)Fasih Al Saleh (Norway) — 3:39:50Faisal Shafi (Karachi) — 3:40:13 (Seventh Star, World File)Yawar Siddiqui (Islamabad) — 3:44:16Asad Jafri (Sydney) — 3:47:03Sijal Ahmad (Sydney) — 3:52:06Abu-Bakr Mohammad Afzal (UK) — 3:52:20Ammar Zia (UK) — 3:52:27Khoula Ahmed (Norway) — 3:52:53Muhammad Junaid (Karachi) — 4:04:09Semeena Khan (UK) — 4:10:07Jamal Khan (US) — 4:10:10 (Seventh Star)Neelab Kayani (Rawalpindi) — 4:10:28Wahab Sidhu — 4:13:31Hasan Saud Hasnie — 4:14:24Ali Habib (Australia) — 4:19:04Rabab Ahmed — 4:20:02Zawar (UK) — 4:21:53Nida Yawar (Islamabad) — 4:23:31Imran Zaffar (UK) — 4:32:38Maeen Uddin (UAE) — 4:55:56Hamad Ali (UK) — 4:56:02Yusra Bokhari (US) — 5:13:49 (Seventh Star)Dr Ahmad Zubair (UK) — 5:30:02Shazia Nawaz (US) — 5:30:03Ziyad Raheem (UK) — 5:37:01 (Seventh Star)Ahmer Khan (Austria) — 5:39:52Aylia Zaidi (US) — 5:47:32Sabba Mirza (UK) — 6:04:22
