One of the world’s major marathon events, the Sydney Marathon, is set to take place tomorrow, bringing together more than 40,000 runners from across the globe. Among the participants will be 24 Pakistani and Pakistani-origin runners, including 19 men and five women.
The Pakistani contingent includes runners based in Karachi, Islamabad and Australia, as well as participants living in the United States, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. A total of 12 runners have travelled from Pakistan to take part in the 42.195-kilometre race.
The male runners from Karachi include Khalid Sheikh, Dr Jahanzeb Mughal, Noshiwan Ali, Shoaib Nizami, Ali Qazi, Danish Elahi, Hasnain Dharamsay and Yousuf Malik. Other participants in the Pakistani group include Ali Zaidi, Amir Butt, Qamar Zia, Junaid Memon, Zain Alam, Naveed Hassan, Umar Rashid, Tabish Mukhtar, Mir Shehzad and Dr Adnan Afzal.
The women representing the Pakistani contingent are Kokab Sarwar, Dr Rabia Naeem, Mahwish Bilal, Hira Diwan and Syeda Maimoona Hamdani. Geo News Deputy Sports Editor Faizan Lakhani is also listed among the participants in the Sydney Marathon.
Karachi-based runner Danish Elahi will represent Pakistan in a distinctive way by running the marathon in a traditional shalwar kameez. He said his aim is to present a positive and softer image of Pakistan while creating greater awareness about the country. For Elahi, Sydney will mark his seventh marathon, and he said he is particularly excited about taking part in the event.
The 42.195km race will begin in North Sydney before taking runners across some of the city’s iconic locations, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. The finish line will be located near the world-famous Sydney Opera House, giving participants a memorable route through the Australian city.
The Sydney Marathon became part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025. With Cape Town joining the series in 2026, the World Marathon Majors now feature eight races. Former British Deputy High Commissioner Mike Nithavrianakis will also participate in Sydney, raising funds for The Citizens Foundation, which supports education initiatives in Pakistan. His Sydney race will be the third event in a six-marathon campaign aimed at raising $1 million during 2026.
