Pakistani Runners Shine at Cape Town Marathon 2026, Earn Historic Eighth World Marathon Stars
Pakistani runners delivered an outstanding performance at the Cape Town Marathon, once again bringing recognition to Pakistan’s growing running community on the global marathon stage.
After successfully completing the marathon in Cape Town, Karachi-based runner Faisal Shafi and British Pakistani athlete Huma Rehman provisionally secured their eighth World Marathon stars.
Held under the scenic backdrop of Table Mountain, the marathon attracted more than 27,000 runners from around the world. However, the standout moment for the Pakistani running community was the remarkable achievement of Faisal Shafi and Huma Rehman.
Faisal Shafi completed the 42.195-kilometer race in 3 hours, 35 minutes, and 37 seconds, becoming the first Pakistani living in Pakistan to complete eight World Marathon stars. Speaking after the race, he said this was his eighth star, explaining that Cape Town was originally expected to become the eighth major marathon last year, but the race had been canceled due to bad weather.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors organizers had announced before the race that all finishers would receive a provisional major star, similar to the arrangement previously made for the Sydney Marathon before its official inclusion in the majors series.
If officially approved, the Cape Town Marathon will become the first African race to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, which currently includes the marathons of Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney.
Faisal Shafi completed the halfway mark in 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 56 seconds, maintaining an impressive pace of around 4 minutes and 44 to 46 seconds per kilometer during the first 30 kilometers of the race.
Meanwhile, Huma Rehman also delivered a superb performance, finishing the marathon in 3 hours, 31 minutes, and 34 seconds. She emerged as the fastest runner among Pakistani and overseas Pakistani participants and became the first British Pakistani runner to achieve eight World Marathon stars.
Her run was widely praised for consistency and endurance. She completed the 5-kilometer mark in 25 minutes and 52 seconds, 10 kilometers in 51 minutes and 36 seconds, and 15 kilometers in 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 45 seconds. She crossed the half marathon stage in 1 hour, 46 minutes, and 43 seconds while maintaining an average pace of nearly five minutes per kilometer throughout the difficult course.
A total of six runners from Pakistan and the overseas Pakistani community participated in this year’s Cape Town Marathon.
