KARACHI: Pakistani athletes put on a strong show at Sunday’s Sydney Marathon, the first edition of the event since being elevated to Abbott World Marathon Major status, with Karachi’s Faisal Shafi earning a Guinness World Record by completing the race in light military uniform as a tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces.
The marathon, now the seventh member of the world’s most prestigious marathon series alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York, took participants across Sydney’s most iconic landmarks — from the Harbour Bridge and Opera House to the Royal Botanic Garden and Sydney Cove.
Faisal Shafi ran the 42.195-kilometre course in three hours, 40 minutes and 13 seconds, setting a new Guinness World Record in his category. Speaking to Geo News, he said: “It was an ideal time to pay tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces, our martyrs, and the immense sacrifices of our soldiers. I am proud to have done that as a civilian on this global stage.” He added that while the uniform was specially designed for the event, running in military gear was a difficult challenge.
The fastest Pakistani finisher on the day was Ali Zaidi, based in Australia, who completed the marathon in 3:05:33. He was followed by Islamabad’s Bilal Ehsan with 3:15:03, leading the group of runners who traveled from Pakistan. Other notable finishers included Fahd Mukhtar, Hamid Butt, and Bacha Hussain.
Shafi’s achievement also marked his seventh star in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, joining seven other Pakistani athletes who reached the milestone during Sydney’s debut as a major marathon. They included Multan’s Fahd Mukhtar (3:29:21), Lahore’s Hamid Butt (3:34:26), UK-based Huma Rahman (3:38:09), US-based Dr. Salman Khan (3:39:50), US-based Jamal Khan (4:10:10), US-based Yusra Bokhari (5:13:49), and UK-based Ziyad Raheem (5:37:01).
The Sydney Marathon course, known for its challenging hills in the later stages near Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and Art Gallery Road, tested runners’ stamina but also delivered a historic moment for Pakistan’s running community on the global stage.
