Saqib Khan delivered an impressive performance at the 48th Istanbul Marathon in Turkey, leading a group of 18 Pakistani runners who successfully completed the challenging 42.195-kilometre race. Khan emerged as the fastest Pakistani participant, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 33 seconds, becoming the only Pakistani runner to finish the marathon in under three hours.
Muhammad Sajjad secured second place among Pakistani participants with a finishing time of 3:17:29, while Iqbal Ali Khan claimed third position in 3:23:58. Saqib finished 27 minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Sajjad, highlighting his outstanding performance in the international competition.
The race splits revealed an interesting change in momentum during the final stages. Sajjad initially held the advantage, leading Saqib by 1 minute and 51 seconds at the half-marathon mark. His lead increased to 2 minutes and 4 seconds at 25 kilometres and reached 6 minutes and 17 seconds at the 30-kilometre point. However, Saqib staged a remarkable comeback, reducing the gap to just 36 seconds at 35 kilometres before moving ahead in the final section.
Other Pakistani male finishers included Irfan Ali, who completed the race in 3:52:47, followed by Kamran Yousaf in 4:02:19. Muhammad Asad Siddiqui finished in 4:21:02, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali in 4:28:40 and Adeel Mansoor Khan in 4:39:02. Mehnaz Naveed was the leading Pakistani woman, completing the marathon in 4:52:06, while Sunaina finished in 5:59:40.
The remaining Pakistani finishers included Muhammad Gulraiz Khan (5:02:43), Muhammad Asad Khan (5:21:36), Noufal Elahi (5:35:11), Qasim Saeed (5:42:13), Muhammad Ashar Siddiqui (5:46:22), Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan (6:12:01), Fahad Mansoori (6:14:12) and Muhammad Arsalan Ayub (6:14:57).
Known as the world’s only intercontinental marathon, the Istanbul Marathon offers participants a unique opportunity to run between Asia and Europe by crossing the Bosphorus Bridge. The race concluded at Sultanahmet Square. Kenya’s Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba won the men’s elite category in 2:08:44, setting a course record, while Ethiopia’s Kasanech Ayenew Bazie claimed the women’s title in 2:24:40.
