Hundreds of athletes, national and international, participated in Pakistan’s first-ever World Athletics-certified Marathon in Karachi on Sunday. 

The much-anticipated event, without disrupting the vibrant pulse of the city, promised a unique experience as it followed the international standards with proper routes, and benchmarks comparable to renowned marathons in cities like London and Paris.

Sohail Amir secured victory in the 42.2-kilometre full marathon, completing the distance in two hours, 36 minutes, and nine seconds.

In the full marathon, Israr Khatak finished second and Aamer Abbas secured the third position.

Meanwhile, in the women’s full marathon, Mahnoor led the race.

The 21.1-kilometre half marathon was clinched by Hafeezul Barkat, as she completed the distance in one hour, 17 minutes, and 12 seconds. In the half marathon, Akram finished second, and Zaher Shah secured the third position.

Muhammad Junaid, a Geo News anchor, also participated in the marathon and he ran a 21.21km distance in one hour, 47 minutes and 51 seconds time period at a 5:05 km/per hour pace.

While talking to Geo News, CEO of Sports in Pakistan Shoaib Nizam said that over the past eight to 10 years, there has been a noticeable surge in the popularity of marathon running among Pakistanis.

“Numerous individuals have engaged in international marathons such as Berlin, Chicago, London, and Tokyo, inspiring a growing interest in participation within Pakistan,” he said.