Pakistani Runners Shine at the Istanbul Marathon Held Across Two Continents

Twelve Pakistani runners successfully completed the 42.195-kilometre Istanbul Marathon, earning praise for their strong performances.

Mubarez bin Rafi was the fastest among the Pakistani participants, finishing the course in 3 hours, 21 minutes, and 30 seconds. Islamabad’s Mujtaba Ahsan followed closely with a time of 3 hours and 23 minutes, securing second place among the Pakistani contingent. Based in Istanbul, Ismail Khan clocked 4 hours and 3 minutes, finishing third among Pakistani runners.

From Karachi, Sehar Ali Janjua led the women’s field, completing the marathon in 4 hours and 22 minutes. Fellow Karachi runner Hina Malik improved her personal best by 12 minutes, finishing in 4 hours and 49 minutes.

Geo News Deputy Sports Editor Faizan Lakhani also successfully completed the Istanbul Marathon — his first-ever marathon — with a finishing time of 5 hours and 13 minutes.

Other Pakistani finishers included Umer Rasheed, Zain Ahmed, Kashif Raza, Mehvesh Hanif, Sadaf Saad, and Haziq Khalid, all of whom completed the challenging race.

The Pakistani participants received enthusiastic support along the route, with spectators cheering and shouting “Pakistan Zindabad!” as the runners, dressed in green shirts, passed by.