ISLAMABAD: A ‘Milo Islamabad Marathon 2026’ turned the federal capital into a major celebration of fitness and community spirit as over 5,000 runners took part in the event, including participants from 30 countries.
The marathon witnessed an energetic turnout on Islamabad’s iconic route from F-9 Park to D-Chowk, with men and women runners coming together under one start line, reflecting the growing culture of running and endurance sports in Pakistan.
According to organisers, runners from Pakistan, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Poland, Italy, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sweden, Indonesia, Austria, Libya, Kenya, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, France, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan participated in the marathon, giving the event strong international representation.
Winners of different categories were later announced.
In the Full Marathon (Men) category, Sher Khan secured the first position, followed by Israr Khattak, while Sajjad Ahmed finished third.
In the Full Marathon (Women) category, Salatant Simpina of Kazakhstan claimed the first place, while Maria Pia of Italy secured second position, and Ayesha Mastoor Butt finished third.
In the Half Marathon (Men) category, Muhammad Saleem won the first place, followed by Shehbaz Masih, while Muhammad Irfan secured third position.
In the Half Marathon (Women) category, Pakistan’s Saadia Maqbool secured the first position, while Elizabeth Hesse of the United States finished second, and Marta Pedila of Spain stood third.
In the 10KM (Men) race, Muhammad Riaz secured the first place, followed by Atiq ur Rehman, while Umar Zaman finished third.
In the 10KM (Women) category, Mahnur Afzal won the first place, while Ayesha Maryam secured second, and Tooba Rani finished third.
In the 5KM (Men) category, Muhammad Akhtar secured the first position, followed by Samiullah, while Muhammad Ibrahim Sami finished third.
In the 5KM (Women) category, Aram Shehzadi won first place, while Bisma Batool secured second, and Sydney of Germany finished third.
Organisers thanked the runners, volunteers, and partners for their contributions, saying the Islamabad Marathon continues to grow into a key sporting event that promotes fitness, inclusion, and positive engagement through sports.
The Islamabad Run With Us (IRU) is regarded as the pioneer of Islamabad’s running culture, with Chief Executive of Islamabad Run With Us, Qasim Naz, having taken the initiative to promote organised running in the capital in 2016, a step that later evolved into the Islamabad Marathon becoming one of Pakistan’s most prominent endurance sports events.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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