Over 40 Pakistani runners and members of the diaspora represented Pakistan at the 2025 London Marathon, with Furqan Masood from Islamabad emerging as the fastest among them, completing the race in an impressive 3 hours, 10 minutes, and 7 seconds.
The 2025 London Marathon saw a strong contingent of Pakistani runners and diaspora members.
Furqan Masood’s performance, marked by steady pacing early on before battling fatigue in the latter stages, highlighted the determination of amateur athletes representing Pakistan on the global stage.
Masood, running with the Islamabad Running Club, maintained a strong start, clocking 20:44 for the first 5K and 42:09 at the 10K mark.
However, the rising temperatures and grueling course took a toll, as his splits slowed in the second half, particularly after the 30K mark, where he faced a challenging 23:02 segment between 25K and 30K.
Despite the struggle, he pushed through the final split in 24:14, crossing the finish line in 4,460th place overall in an event that saw 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 told Geo News after his 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 added.
Close behind Masood was USA-based Salman Ilyas, finishing in 3:18:33, followed by Norway-based Muhammad Fasih Saleh (3:21:54) and Hamza Saleem (3:23:10). Shah Syed, another Pakistani runner, delivered a near-identical time of 3:23:12, showcasing the competitive spirit among the group.
Norwegian-Pakistani runner Amy Mir was the fastest woman of Pakistani origin, completing the race in 3:52:00. Despite limited training, she embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. “I hadn’t trained beyond 17K, but the energy of the crowd was unbelievable,” Mir said as she completed 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 six-star medal with a time of 3:41:45.
In the elite races, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe dominated the men’s division in 2:02:27, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a blistering pace in the women’s race, winning 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 together in 4:55, while UAE-based Azmat Khan led the Pakistani contingent there with a time of 3:15:48. Sadia Haq, another notable finisher, clocked 3:45:35.
Ahmed Zubair, a British Pakistani doctor also completed this marathon. He reached the finish line in 6:37:52.
The growing participation of Pakistani runners in global marathons reflects an increasing enthusiasm for long-distance running within the community, blending personal achievement with national pride.
