Over 40 Pakistani runners and members of the diaspora proudly represented Pakistan at the 2025 London Marathon, with Furqan Masood from Islamabad emerging as the fastest among them, completing the grueling race in an impressive 3 hours, 10 minutes, and 7 seconds.
The 2025 London Marathon witnessed a strong and enthusiastic contingent of Pakistani runners and members of the diaspora community.
Furqan Masood’s performance, characterized by steady pacing in the initial stages before battling fatigue in the latter part of the race, underscored the determination of amateur athletes representing Pakistan on the global stage.
Masood, running under the banner of the Islamabad Running Club, maintained a strong start, clocking 20:44 for the first 5 kilometers and 42:09 at the 10-kilometer mark.
However, the rising temperatures and the demanding course took their toll, leading to slower splits in the second half, particularly after the 30-kilometer mark, where he navigated a challenging 23:02 segment between 25K and 30K.
Despite the arduous struggle, he persevered through the final split in 24:14, crossing the finish line in 4,460th place overall in an event that saw the participation of over 56,000 runners.
“Crossing the finish line at the London Marathon was a deeply humbling experience. The energy of the crowd and the incredible support from my club, IRC, and the Pakistani community truly lifted my spirits,” Furqan shared with Geo News after his remarkable run.
“Today’s run was particularly tough, with the course much hotter than usual, making it a real test of endurance. We are not professional runners; our purpose in participating in such prestigious international events is to inspire people back home in Pakistan. We want to show that running can be more than just a sport, it can be a hobby, a passion, and a way to lead a healthier lifestyle,” he elaborated.
Closely following Masood was USA-based Salman Ilyas, finishing in 3:18:33, with Norway-based Muhammad Fasih Saleh (3:21:54) and Hamza Saleem (3:23:10) right behind. Shah Syed, another dedicated Pakistani runner, achieved a near-identical time of 3:23:12, highlighting the competitive spirit within the group.
Norwegian-Pakistani runner Amy Mir distinguished herself as the fastest woman of Pakistani origin, completing the race in 3:52:00. Despite limited training, she embraced the challenge with remarkable enthusiasm. “I hadn’t trained beyond 17K, but the energy of the crowd was unbelievable,” Mir exclaimed after completing her first-ever marathon.
The event also marked a historic milestone for Lahore’s Hamid Butt, 64, who became the first Pakistani to twice complete the Abbott World Marathon Majors — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York — earning his second prestigious six-star medal with a commendable time of 3:41:45.
In the elite races, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe dominated the men’s division with a winning time of 2:02:27, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a blistering pace in the women’s race, securing victory in 2:15:50.
Pakistani runners’ full results at London Marathon 2025: • Furqan Masood – 3:10:07 • Salman Ilyas – 3:18:33 • Muhammad Fasih Saleh – 3:21:54 • Hamza Saleem – 3:23:10 • Shah Syed– 3:23:12 • Hamid Butt – 3:41:45 • Raees Ebrahim – 3:42:46 • Aamar Butt) – 3:50:10 • Amy Mir (Norway – 3:52:00 • Adnan Ozair – 3:52:23 • Imran Khan – 4:02:46 • Zaheer Akbar – 4:05:24 • Atiq Ul Hasan – 4:09:43 • Abu-Bakr Mohammad Afzal – 4:12:44 • Haseeb Usmani – 4:20:20 • Hira Diwan – 4:25:33 • Alai Naseer – 4:28:33 • Kamran Abbasi – 4:31:38 • Raja Arif Ullah Khan – 4:35:29 • Imran Zaffar – 4:37:11 • Shakeel Khan – 4:38:27 • Nadeem Iqbal – 4:44:05 • Khalid Sheikh – 4:52:11 • Ayesha Akhtar – 4:56:09 • Maria Adeel – 5:09:59 • Taha Ghafoor – 5:10:43 • Faisal Saif – 5:12:50 • Semeena Khan – 5:18:02 • Saniya Zafar – 5:23:01 • Junaid Memon – 5:27:21 • Danial Mumtaz – 5:33:00 • Aleena Ali – 5:34:02 • Ahsan Ahmed – 5:34:59 • Muhammad Yousuf Malik – 5:35:49 • Mona Khan (Pakistan) – 5:35:50 • Maryam Zahra – 5:36:49 • Hira Mufti – 5:47:03 • Mohammad Omar – 5:49:44 • Zawar Khan – 6:02:50 • Hamad Ali – 6:04:11 • Mazhar Ibad Lari – 6:25:00 • Shazia Nawaz – 6:30:34
Meanwhile, at the Manchester Marathon, Karachi’s Danish Raza and his son Abrar Ahmed finished the race together in a commendable time of 4 hours and 55 minutes, while UAE-based Azmat Khan led the Pakistani contingent there with an impressive time of 3:15:48. Sadia Haq, another notable finisher, clocked in at 3:45:35. British Pakistani doctor Ahmed Zubair also successfully completed this marathon, reaching the finish line in 6:37:52.
The increasing participation of Pakistani runners in prestigious global marathons reflects a growing enthusiasm for long-distance running within the community, beautifully blending personal achievement with a strong sense of national pride.
