The runners of Pakistan made their mark at the London Marathon 2025, Furqan Masood of Islamabad leading a fiery group of more than 40 Pakistani athletes and members of the diaspora who undertook one of the most emblematic races in the world.
Masood finished the marathon in an impressive 3 hours, 10 minutes and 7 seconds, with resilience and a strong rhythm in a race that attracted more than 56,000 participants.
Starting with a quick 20:44 for the first 5 km and reaching the brand 10 km at 42:09, he fought against the increase in temperatures and fatigue in the second half but widened to cross the finish line, winning 4,460th place in total.
“The crossing of the finish line at the London marathon was a deeply humiliating experience,” said Masood after the race.
“We are not professional athletes; we want to inspire the people of Pakistan to adopt the race as a healthier passion and lifestyle.”
Salman Ilyas, based in the United States, ended in 3:18:33, with Muhammad Fasih Saleh in Norway (3:21:54) and Hamza Saleem (3:23:10) also offering solid performance. Shah Syed was only two seconds behind Saleem, obstructing 3:23:12.
Among women, Amy Mir, based in Norway, stood out by finishing her very first marathon in 3:52:00, despite limited training. “I had not trained beyond 17k, but the energy of the crowd made me pass,” she said.
Lahore’s veteran Hamid Butt runner entered history by becoming the first Pakistani to finish the Marathon of the world of Abbott twice, winning his second star medal with a time of 3:41:45.
Meanwhile, at the Manchester Marathon, Azmat Khan, based on the water, led the Pakistani contingent with a finish at 3:15:48, while Raza Danish of Karachi and her son Abrar Ahmed finished the race together in 4:55. British Pakistani doctor Ahmed Zubair also finished the Manchester course in 6:37:52.
In London’s elite races, SABASTIAN SAWE of Kenya won the male division in a quick 2:02:27, while the Ethiopia TIGST ASSEFA dominated the female race with a winning time of 2:15:50.
The growing presence of Pakistani runners on the stages of the world marathon signals a growing passion for endurance sports within the community – mixing personal success with national pride.
