Pakistani Runners Shine at London Marathon 2025

A significant number of Pakistani runners, along with members of the diaspora, proudly represented Pakistan at the London Marathon 2025. The event showcased impressive performances and a strong sense of national pride.

More than 40 runners of Pakistani origin participated in the 2025 London Marathon. Furqan Masood, hailing from Islamabad, distinguished himself as the quickest among them, achieving a remarkable time of 3 hours, 10 minutes, and 7 seconds.

Furqan Masood’s display of resilience was evident through his consistent tempo in the initial stages, followed by a battle against weariness later in the race. This underscored the resolve exhibited by amateur athletes representing Pakistan on a global platform.

Masood, a member of the Islamabad Running Club, started strong, marking 20:44 for the first 5 kilometers and 42:09 at the 10-kilometer mark.

The increasing heat and demanding route presented challenges. His pace slowed down in the latter half, notably after the 30-kilometer point, where he encountered a tough 23:02 segment between 25K and 30K.

Despite these difficulties, he persevered, completing the final segment in 24:14, and secured 4,460th position overall in an event that featured over 56,000 participants.

Furqan shared his sentiments after the race, stating that crossing the finish line at the London Marathon was profoundly humbling. He added that the crowd’s vigor and extraordinary backing from his club, IRC, and the Pakistani community greatly inspired him.

He also noted that the run was particularly arduous due to the unusually high temperatures, making it a genuine examination of endurance. He emphasized that they are not professional athletes and aim to motivate individuals back in Pakistan, demonstrating that running can be a fulfilling hobby and a means to promote a healthier lifestyle.

Following Masood, Salman Ilyas, based in the USA, finished in 3:18:33, succeeded by Muhammad Fasih Saleh (3:21:54) and Hamza Saleem (3:23:10), both residing in Norway. Shah Syed, another Pakistani participant, achieved a closely matching time of 3:23:12, reflecting the competitive nature within the group.

Amy Mir, a Norwegian-Pakistani runner, emerged as the fastest woman of Pakistani descent, concluding the race in 3:52:00. Despite restricted training, she embraced the challenge enthusiastically. Mir expressed her amazement at the crowd’s vigor, especially considering she had not trained beyond 17 kilometers, marking her first marathon completion.

The event also represented a momentous achievement for Hamid Butt, 64, from Lahore. He became the first Pakistani to twice finalize the Abbott World Marathon Majors—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—securing his second six-star medal with a time of 3:41:45. Additionally, Ahmed Zubair, a British Pakistani physician, finished the Manchester Marathon, clocking in at 6:37:52.

In the elite divisions, Sabastian Sawe from Kenya dominated the men’s race with a time of 2:02:27, while Tigst Assefa from Ethiopia set a scorching pace in the women’s race, securing victory in 2:15:50.

Notable Finishes at the Manchester Marathon

Danish Raza from Karachi, accompanied by his son Abrar Ahmed, completed the Manchester Marathon together in 4:55. Azmat Khan, based in the UAE, led the Pakistani participants there with a time of 3:15:48. Sadia Haq also delivered a remarkable performance, completing the marathon in 3:45:35.

The increasing involvement of Pakistani runners in international marathons demonstrates a rising passion for long-distance running within the community, merging individual accomplishment with national pride.

Full results of Pakistani runners 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