Pakistani runner Faisal Shafi poses for a photograph together with his medal. — reporter
KARACHI: Pakistani runners turned the streets of Cape City right into a landmark chapter of the nation’s rising marathon motion as Karachi’s Faisal Shafi and British-Pakistani runner Huma Rehman achieved the eighth star, though at the moment a provisional star, on the 2026 Cape City Marathon, a race anticipated to develop into the subsequent Abbott World Marathon Main.
Competing in opposition to a backdrop of Desk Mountain, the Pakistani contingent produced a major collective efficiency on the worldwide marathon stage.
Greater than 27,000 runners participated within the occasion, however for Pakistan’s marathon working neighborhood, the highlight belonged to a small group of runners representing the nation’s working neighborhood on this planet’s most scenic marathon programs.
British Pakistani runner Huma Rehman poses for a photograph. — reporter
Karachi-based Shafi emerged because the central determine of the story. Finishing the 42.195-kilometre race in 3 hours, 35 minutes and 37 seconds, Shafi grew to become the primary Pakistan-based runner to finish eight World Marathon stars, a milestone thought-about among the many rarest achievements in leisure endurance working.
“The eighth Major was actually supposed to happen in Cape Town last year, but due to bad weather, the marathon was cancelled.”
The Cape City Marathon at the moment stays within the candidacy section for Abbott World Marathon Main standing.
Organisers introduced earlier than the race that each finisher would obtain a provisional Main star, just like the pathway Sydney adopted earlier than formally changing into a Main.
As soon as Cape City passes its ultimate evaluation and is formally inducted into the World Marathon Majors, the provisional star will robotically convert to a totally recognised star, retroactively counting towards your Main
The event successfully made this 12 months’s Cape City Marathon one of the crucial traditionally important races outdoors the prevailing Main circuit. If formally authorised, Cape City would develop into the primary African race to hitch the elite collection alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Sydney.
For Shafi, it was past private achievement.
“I am the first eight-star finisher from Pakistan and the first person to complete eight stars while living in Pakistan,” he stated.
“This is a huge leap for Pakistan in marathon running because eight stars is a very elusive achievement. Even globally, only a few hundred people may have completed eight stars.”
Shafi’s run itself mirrored the composure of an skilled marathoner. He crossed the midway mark in 1:39:56 and maintained a disciplined tempo by means of the opening 30 kilometres, persistently working between 4:44 and 4:46 per kilometre earlier than the difficult latter levels examined the sector.
Whereas Shafi carried Pakistan’s headline second, British Pakistani runner Huma Rehman produced one of many strongest performances among the many Pakistani-origin individuals. She accomplished the race in a powerful 3:31:34, ending forward of Shafi total and changing into the primary British Pakistani runner to safe the eighth world star milestone.
Her race was a masterclass in rhythm and consistency. After reaching 5km in 25:52, Huma steadily accelerated by means of the course, clocking 51:36 at 10km and 1:16:45 at 15km earlier than crossing midway in 1:46:43. Remarkably, she maintained virtually similar pacing deep into the latter levels of the race, overlaying 30km in 2:30:52, reaching 35km in 2:56:08 and crossing 40km in 3:20:53, averaging virtually precisely 5 minutes per kilometer throughout a lot of the second half of the marathon, an indication of elite endurance administration on a demanding course.
Pakistan and the abroad Pakistani neighborhood had six representatives within the marathon. Karachi’s Hina Shaukat produced a personal-best efficiency of 4:31:23, whereas Lahore runner Amina Sibtain accomplished her first-ever marathon in 4:44:51. Kashif Zulfiqar crossed the road moments later in 4:44:54.
Canadian Pakistani runner Ziyad Rahim accomplished the race in 6:54:33.
Hina Shaukat stated that the Cape City marathon was the proudest end of her working profession.
“It was my third marathon, and I was able to shave 40 minutes off my PR,” she stated.
Past the outcomes, nonetheless, the race symbolised one thing bigger for Pakistan’s slowly increasing marathon working tradition. Group working occasions in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore have witnessed fast development in recent times, and Faisal Shafi believes milestones like Cape City can encourage much more folks to embrace marathon working.
“God willing, more people will now be inspired towards marathon running,” he stated. “Just like the recent One Run event in Karachi, where so many people participated, I believe this sport will continue growing in Pakistan.”
