Pakistani runners compete in Chicago Marathon, Nizar Niyani shines

Pakistani runners from across the world delivered a determined performance at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, with Texas-based Nizar Niyani emerging as one of the standout participants after narrowly missing his target of completing the gruelling race in under three hours.

Niyani finished the 42.195-kilometre race in three hours and 45 seconds, missing the three-hour milestone by just 46 seconds, according to the reported results. Despite falling short of his personal target, he remained among the most prominent Pakistani participants in the prestigious international event.

Karachi’s Mustafa completed the marathon in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 18 seconds, while New York-based Bushra Anjum led the Pakistani women with a time of 3 hours, 31 minutes and one second.

Abubakar Muhammad Afzal crossed the finish line in 3:32:39, followed by Pakistani-American Babar Ghias, who recorded 3:42:44.

The performances highlighted the participation of Pakistani runners from different cities and countries in one of the world’s most recognised marathon events.

Niyani comes close to three-hour target

Niyani made a strong start, completing the first 10 kilometres in 40 minutes and 22 seconds before reaching the halfway point in 1 hour, 25 minutes and 41 seconds.

However, his pace slowed during the second half of the race, preventing him from achieving his goal of finishing in less than three hours.

Speaking after the event, Niyani said the Chicago Marathon held a special place in his heart and that he hoped to continue participating for as long as his fitness and circumstances allowed.

He acknowledged that conditions had not been ideal this year, adding that the 26.2-mile distance tested a runner’s endurance, determination and mental strength.

His performance nevertheless demonstrated the challenge of maintaining a consistent pace over the full marathon distance, particularly when aiming for an ambitious finishing time.

Bushra Anjum leads Pakistani women

Anjum was the leading Pakistani female participant, completing the marathon in 3:31:01.

She had covered the half-marathon distance in 1 hour, 41 minutes and 34 seconds, but a slowdown during the second half affected her overall finishing time.

Other Pakistani participants also completed the demanding course, including Ibrahim Abdulkhaliq of Riyadh, who finished in 3:44:01.

Hameed Butt, a 67-year-old runner from Lahore, crossed the finish line in 3:49:48. He has twice achieved the distinction of being a Six Star Finisher, an honour associated with completing all six original Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Taimoor Malik finished in 4:05:34, while British Pakistani Hasan Ali recorded 4:14:55. Basil Khan completed the course in 4:16:56, and Sarah Rathore finished in 4:22:06.

Among the other participants, Imad Sheikh recorded 4:38:09, British Pakistani Warda Mir finished in 5:03:55, and Ghassan Tayeb crossed the line in 5:12:21.

Zara Ordonez completed the marathon in 5:16:36, followed by Hasan Saleem in 5:17:05 and Daniyal Ameer Lakdawala in 5:18:06.

Karachi’s Anees Kasmani finished in approximately 5 hours and 25 minutes. British Pakistani Hammad Ali recorded 5:29:05, Ahmed Zubair finished in 5:32:08, and Karachi’s Ayesha Intisar completed the race in 5:35:14.

Former British diplomat runs for education

Mike Nethavrianakis, a former British diplomat who served in Pakistan, also participated in the marathon, finishing in 3 hours, 18 minutes and four seconds.

He took part to raise donations for The Citizens Foundation (TCF), an organisation working to improve access to education in Pakistan.

His participation added a fundraising dimension to the event, using the international marathon platform to support educational opportunities for children.

Chicago Marathon attracts more than 55,000 runners

The Chicago Marathon is one of the world’s major distance-running events and forms part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit.

More than 55,000 runners participated in this year’s race, which began and ended at Grant Park and passed through 29 neighbourhoods across Chicago.

Kenya’s Amos Kipruto won the men’s elite race in 2:01:09. Ethiopia’s Tadese Bekele finished second in 2:02:56, while compatriot Milkesa Mengesha took third place in 2:03:46.

In the women’s elite race, Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa successfully defended her title, winning in 2:13:33. Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi finished second in 2:14:07, followed by Brigid Kosgei in 2:14:55.

The women’s race also produced a historic milestone, with three athletes finishing in under 2 hours and 15 minutes in the same race for the first time in marathon history.

For the Pakistani contingent, the event was an opportunity to compete on a global stage, test personal limits and demonstrate the growing enthusiasm for long-distance running among Pakistanis living at home and abroad.