Istanbul: Pakistani runner Saqib Khan emerged as the country’s fastest finisher at the 48th Istanbul Marathon in Türkiye, completing the challenging 42.195-kilometre race in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 33 seconds.
A total of 18 Pakistani runners completed the marathon, with Saqib becoming the only Pakistani participant to finish the race in under three hours.
Muhammad Sajjad secured second place among Pakistani runners with a time of 3 hours, 17 minutes and 29 seconds, while Iqbal Ali Khan finished third in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 58 seconds.
Saqib finished 27 minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Sajjad, delivering the strongest performance among the Pakistani contingent.
Saqib’s Remarkable Comeback
Race split times indicated a dramatic change in the competition during the final stages. Sajjad had held the advantage over Saqib between the 15-kilometre and 30-kilometre marks.
At the halfway point, Sajjad led by 1 minute and 51 seconds. His advantage increased to 2 minutes and 4 seconds at 25 kilometres and 6 minutes and 17 seconds at the 30-kilometre mark.
However, Saqib mounted a remarkable comeback. By the 35-kilometre point, Sajjad’s lead had fallen to just 36 seconds, and Saqib had established a substantial advantage by the 40-kilometre mark.
According to the reported split times, Saqib held a 17-minute-and-43-second advantage at 40 kilometres. He ultimately completed the race in 2:49:33, comfortably ahead of Sajjad.
Other Pakistani Finishers
Irfan Ali finished fourth among Pakistani runners in 3 hours, 52 minutes and 47 seconds, followed by Kamran Yousaf, who completed the race in 4 hours, 2 minutes and 19 seconds.
Other finishers included Muhammad Asad Siddiqui in 4:21:02, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali in 4:28:40 and Adeel Mansoor Khan in 4:39:02.
Among the women, Mehnaz Naveed was a leading Pakistani finisher, completing the marathon in 4 hours, 52 minutes and 6 seconds. Sanaina finished in 5 hours, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
Additional Pakistani runners who completed the race included Muhammad Gulraiz Khan, Muhammad Asad Khan, Noufal Elahi, Qasim Saeed, Muhammad Ashar Siddiqui, Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, Fahad Mansoori and Muhammad Arsalan Ayub.
A Unique Intercontinental Marathon
The Istanbul Marathon is widely recognised for its distinctive route connecting two continents. Runners cross the Bosphorus Bridge from Asia into Europe, with the race finishing at Sultanahmet Square.
In the elite men’s competition, Kenya’s Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba won in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds, setting a course record. Ethiopia’s Kasanech Ayenew Bazie won the women’s race in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 40 seconds.
The Istanbul Marathon holds World Athletics Gold Label status, making it a prominent event on the international running calendar.