Israr Khattak wins Karachi marathon with impressive performance

KARACHI: In a recent development, the second edition of the Karachi Marathon has come to a close, with Israr Khattak from Peshawar emerging as the champion of the full marathon.

He completed the phenomenal distance of 42.2 kilometers within the time limit of 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 58 seconds, entitling him to bestow the title of winner in Pakistan’s most considerable Marathon.

The marathon is accredited by the World Athletics and drew hundreds of runners from all across Pakistan and beyond, from countries like the US, Poland, Japan, and Germany.

The event took place on a lovely Sunday morning, with a gathering of runners at the Sea View starting line. The course takes runners through capped views of the coastline and onward to the Golf Club. Not only was there a full marathon, but it also incorporated a half marathon and a 5-km fun run so that everyone had a chance to participate.

Muhammad Riaz of Bahawalpur was second, in a fabulously timed 2 hour, 32 min, and 10 seconds. The Winner of the half marathon was Muhammad Akhtar of Sahiwal, finishing in 1 hour, 12 min, and 8 sec.

After the Winner, the second half marathoner was Muhammad Qasim from Sialkot, followed closely by Muhammad Usman from Attock.

In the women’s half marathon, Mumtaz Naimat from Gilgit went home as the winner and finisher in 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 0 seconds. Huge participation was observed this time, with many women participating in the half marathon fun run of 5 kilometers long.

As stated by Race Director Shoaib Nizami, the event was an opportunity for local runners to qualify for prestigious international competitions that include the Boston Marathon. Nizami also underscored the rising relevance of the event in terms of significant increase in female participation.