Sydney Marathon to Feature More Than 40,000 Runners, Including 24 Pakistanis
SYDNEY:The Sydney Marathon, one of the world’s major marathon events, will be held in Australia tomorrow, with more than 40,000 runners from around the world expected to participate.
Among them 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 the United States, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Twelve runners have travelled from Pakistan to participate in the event.
The Karachi-based runners taking part include Khalid Sheikh, Dr Jahanzeb Mughal, Noshiwan Ali, Shoaib Nizami, Ali Qazi, Danish Elahi, Hasnain Dharamsay and Yousuf Malik.
The women’s contingent includes Kokab Sarwar, Dr Rabia Naeem, Mahwish Bilal, Hira Diwan and Syeda Maimoona Hamdani.
Other Pakistani runners include Ali Zaidi, Aamir Butt, Qamar Zia, Junaid Memon, Zain Alam, Naveed Hassan, Umar Rashid, Tabish Mukhtar, Mir Shehzad and Dr Adnan Afzal.
Geo News Deputy Sports Editor Faizan Lakhani is also included in the Sydney Marathon’s start list.
Karachi-based runner Danish Elahi will represent Pakistan in a distinctive manner, saying he plans to run the marathon wearing a traditional shalwar kameez.
Elahi said his aim is to present a soft and positive image of Pakistan while creating greater awareness about the country. He said the Sydney Marathon will be his seventh marathon and that he is extremely excited about taking part, describing Sydney as an ideal city for running.
The 42.195-kilometre marathon will begin in North Sydney. Runners will cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge and pass through iconic locations including The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour before reaching the finish line near the Sydney Opera House.
The Sydney Marathon became part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025. With Cape Town joining the series in 2026, the number of World Marathon Majors has now increased to eight.
Former British Deputy High Commissioner Mike Netheryanakas will also participate in the Sydney Marathon. Although he is not officially part of the Pakistani contingent, his campaign is connected to Pakistan.
He is using the marathon to raise funds for The Citizens Foundation, which works to promote education in Pakistan. Netheryanakas has set a target of raising $1 million through six marathons in 2026.
The Sydney Marathon will be the third race in his six-marathon fundraising campaign.
