World Record and Milestone Achievements
Pakistani runners delivered impressive performances at Sunday’s Sydney Marathon, the first edition of the event since it was elevated to Abbott World Marathon Major status. Karachi’s Faisal Shafi set a Guinness World Record by running in a light military uniform to honor the country’s armed forces.
The race, now the seventh member of the prestigious marathon majors series alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York, took runners on a scenic tour of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks. Shafi completed the challenging 42.195-kilometer course in three hours, 40 minutes, and 13 seconds while wearing light military gear, a new world record confirmed by Guinness World Records.
“It was an ideal time to pay tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces, our martyrs, and the immense sacrifices of our soldiers,” Shafi told Geo News. His achievement was a highlight of a strong showing by Pakistan’s running community in this historic inaugural major marathon.
Pakistani Contingent’s Performance
The fastest Pakistani finisher at the Sydney Marathon was Australian-based Ali Zaidi, who clocked 3:05:33 to lead the contingent. He was followed by Islamabad’s Bilal Ehsan, who posted a time of 3:15:03, making him the top performer among runners who traveled from Pakistan specifically for the event.
Fahd Mukhtar, Hamid Butt, and Bacha Hussain were also among the top performers from Pakistan. Shafi’s performance also earned him his seventh star in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, joining seven other Pakistani runners who achieved the same milestone in Sydney’s debut as a major marathon.
The new group of Pakistani seven-star finishers includes:
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 US (3:39:50)
Jamal Khan from the US (4:10:10)
Yusra Bokhari from the US (5:13:49)
Ziyad Raheem from the UK (5:37:01)
Notable Female Runners
Among the 36 Pakistani runners, ten were women who successfully completed the marathon. They were led by British-Pakistani runner Huma Rahman, who finished in 3:38:09. Other notable performances came from Norway-based Khoula Ahmed (3:52:53), the UK’s Semeena Khan (4:10:07), and Rawalpindi’s Neelab Kayani (4:10:28).
In total, 16 Pakistani runners completed the marathon in under four hours, demonstrating the growing depth of Pakistan’s running community.
Running Times 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 Record)
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
