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Pakistani runners make their mark at 2025 Chicago Marathon

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Pakistani runners make their mark at 2025 Chicago Marathon


Pakistani-origin expatriate runners pose for a group photo after participating in the 2025 Chicago Marathon. — Reporter

Pakistani runners from around the world put up strong performances at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, one of the seven World Marathon Majors, which drew more than 53,000 participants this year.

The event saw a diverse group of Pakistani athletes – from those based in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to dual nationals and expatriates from the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and the Gulf – proudly representing the green flag across 42.195 kilometres of Chicago’s streets.

Leading the Pakistani contingent was Syed Ali Hamza, a Pakistani-American based in Villanova, Pennsylvania, who completed the race in two hours, 55 minutes and 14 seconds, making him the fastest Pakistani finisher. He was followed by another USA-based runner of Pakistani origin, Salman Ilyas, who clocked 2:56:39, and Nizar Nayani, who finished in 2:57:43.

US-Pakistani marathon runner Nizar Nayani displays his medal after finishing the Chicago Marathon. — Reporter
US-Pakistani marathon runner Nizar Nayani displays his medal after finishing the Chicago Marathon. — Reporter

Nayani said running under the Pakistani banner added a special meaning to his achievement.

“Running a marathon is a self-challenge, and especially crossing the finish line and being able to represent as a Pakistani runner makes it all worth it,” he said.

Among those who travelled from Pakistan, one of the country’s top marathon runners, Faisal Shafi from Karachi, stood out with a time of 3:18:52, making him the fastest Pakistan-based runner this year. Shafi, a seasoned marathon runner and already a seven-star finisher, said he went into the race with a specific pacing strategy and achieved a personal milestone.

“I wanted to experiment with pacing in the second half,” he said. “I held my pace in the first 20–25 kilometres and then pushed harder later. This will remain my most memorable run because I ran my second half quicker than my first, something rare in long-distance running. I’m happy and proud of my performance.”

Karachi-based Pakistani marathon runner Faisal Shafi shows off his medal after finishing the Chicago Marathon with distinction. — Reporter
Karachi-based Pakistani marathon runner Faisal Shafi shows off his medal after finishing the Chicago Marathon with distinction. — Reporter

Another highlight from Pakistan was Dania Ali of Karachi, who made her World Marathon Major debut in Chicago. Training on the streets of Karachi, she achieved her personal record with a time of 4:45:07, marking a remarkable milestone in her running journey. Her achievement drew admiration from the local running community.

Among women, U.S.-based Aisha Qamar from Brooklyn was the fastest female Pakistani runner with a time of 3:00:51, while UK-based Maheen Suleman Sheikh, from London, clocked 3:55:29. Karachi’s Sana Malik completed the race in 4:26:27, describing the Chicago atmosphere as unforgettable.

“I think it went amazingly,” Sana said. “I’ve never experienced a crowd like Chicago’s. This was an experience to remember for decades, and I’ll keep working hard to show up better.”

Several other Pakistan-based runners also delivered commendable performances, including Bilal Umar (3:39:29), Shah Faisal Khan (3:57:36), Safdar Ali (4:06:45), Yasir Suleman Memon (4:18:40), and Muhammad Tajdar Iqbal (4:21:08) from Karachi, along with Muhammad Yawar Siddiqui (3:45:26) from Islamabad and Saood Hamid (5:20:05) from Lahore.

Pakistani runners from abroad also made their presence felt. Notable finishers included Osman Sarood (Pakistani-American, San Jose) in 3:44:59, Atiq Ul Hassan (Franklin) in 3:47:43, Abbas Naqvi (US-based) in 4:12:34, and Imran Zaffar (British-Pakistani) in 4:37:31.

A special moment came when Prince Rahim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, completed the marathon on his 54th birthday in 4:59:25. He was greeted by followers along the route with chants of “Happy Birthday!”.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo won the men’s elite title in 2:02:23, followed by Kenya’s Amos Kipruto (2:03:54) and Alex Masai (2:04:37). In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa Gejia claimed victory in 2:14:56, ahead of Megertu Alemu (2:17:18) and Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri (2:18:03).

From Villanova to Karachi and London to Riyadh, this year’s Chicago Marathon showcased the strength, unity, and spirit of Pakistani runners around the world. Their performances not only reflected individual excellence but also highlighted Pakistan’s growing footprint in the global marathon scene.

Chicago Marathon 2025: Pakistani Finishers Under 6 Hours

  1.  Syed Ali Hamza PAK (USA) Villanova 2:55:14
  2. Salman Ilyas USA Sammamish 2:56:39
  3. Nizar Nayani USA Tomball 2:57:43
  4. Irtaza Haider PAK Evanston 3:00:50
  5. Aisha Qamar USA Brooklyn 3:00:51
  6. Faisal Shafi PAK Karachi 3:18:52
  7. Muhammad Shah PAK Cincinnati 3:23:12
  8. Bilal Umar PAK Karachi 3:39:29
  9. Khoula Ahmed NOR — 3:40:21
  10. Osman Sarood PAK (USA) San Jose 3:44:59
  11. Muhammad Yawar Siddiqui PAK Islamabad 3:45:26
  12. Atiq Ul Hassan PAK (USA) Franklin 3:47:43
  13. Maheen Suleman Sheikh PAK (GBR) London 3:55:29
  14. Shah Faisal Khan PAK Karachi 3:57:36
  15. Basil Khan PAK Chicago 4:02:17
  16. Safdar Ali PAK Karachi 4:06:45
  17. Babar Ghias USA Chicago 4:11:41
  18. Abbas Naqvi PAK (USA) Islamabad 4:12:34
  19. Adnan Afzal USA Spring 4:14:42
  20. Saba Lodhi PAK Wenatchee 4:17:00
  21. Yasir Suleman Memon PAK Karachi 4:18:40
  22. Muhammad Umer Shafiq PAK (USA) Islamabad 4:20:24
  23. Muhammad Tajdar Iqbal PAK Karachi 4:21:08
  24. Sana Malik PAK Karachi 4:26:27
  25. Khalid Sarfaraz PAK Abu Dhabi 4:36:46
  26. Imran Zaffar GBR Harrow 4:37:31
  27. Ghassan Tayyab PAK Naperville 4:42:45
  28. Dania Ali PAK Karachi 4:45:07
  29. Syed Ahsan Ejaz PAK Karachi 4:45:50
  30. Raja Arif Ullah Khan PAK Riyadh 4:49:56
  31. Muhammad Rizwan Khawaja USA Scottsdale 5:12:19
  32. Faraz Siddiqui PAK Weehawken 5:19:56
  33. Shazia Nawaz PAK (UAE) Lahore 5:20:05
  34. Saood Hamid PAK Lahore 5:20:05
  35. Usman Rao PAK (USA) Karachi 5:16:16
  36. Fawaz Qamar PAK Gujranwala 5:31:48
  37. Ahmed Khan PAK Bristol 5:47:47
  38. Muhammad Yousuf PAK Karachi 5:58:19
  39. Syeda Maimoona Hamdani PAK Karachi 5:58:31

Source: Website of Chicago Marathon





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College football is chaotic, messy — and more popular than ever

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January 16, 2026

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Amid the wild west of NIL money and transfers, college football is attracting viewership unmatched in its history.



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Patrick Mahomes says he has to be held back from pushing so hard in injury rehab, shares hopes for Week 1

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January 16, 2026

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Patrick Mahomes says he has to be held back from pushing so hard in injury rehab, shares hopes for Week 1


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Patrick Mahomes said Thursday the doctors have been holding him back a bit in his rehab because he’s been pushing hard as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered late in the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback set a hopeful timeline for when he’ll be ready to go as he addressed reporters while he continues to work on getting back to full strength.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)

“First off, rehab is going great so far. I’ve been hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do and getting the strength and the range of mobility back,” Mahomes said. “So, that’s been going great. I’ve been doing all of it here in Kansas City so far. (Assistant athletic trainer) Julie (Frymyer) has been crushing it, pushing me. The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to, and I just try to maximize those, and they hold me back because I always want to go a little bit further. It’s been going great.

“I think the long-term I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctor says that I could be, but I can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process but that’s my goal, so I’ll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win. Obviously, I hope to be able to do some stuff in OTAs and get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there. I’m excited for the process. It’s a long process, but I’m excited for it.”

Mahomes had 3,587 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in 14 games during the year, but Kansas City’s season was a bit unusual.

Patrick Mahomes watches games from a suite

Patrick Mahomes watches the action from a suite during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 25, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)

FOX SUPER 6 CONTEST: CHRIS ‘THE BEAR’ FALLICA’S NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND PREDICTIONS

The one-score games they won in 2024, which helped them to a Super Bowl appearance, turned out to be defeats in 2025. Too many dropped passes and other silly mistakes cost the team multiple times.

“I think just compounding mistakes,” Mahomes said when asked what went wrong in 2025. “You make mistakes throughout a game. For myself, I look at some of the red zone interceptions I threw in kind of bigger moments in the third and fourth quarter of games. That’s stuff that I haven’t done in the past, and so speaking for myself, just trying to be better in those moments. I think offensively we weren’t consistent enough throughout games. We had stretches in games where we played good, we had stretches in the season where we played really good.

“We’ve got to be better and that starts with me and then it kind of has to feed throughout the entire offense. So, I think like I said, guys are motivated, coaches, players, we’re all motivated to be better this next year. Like I said, it sucks watching these games. I want to be out there playing football, especially this time of year, it’s the best time of year to play football. It’ll give us the motivation, hopefully, for us to come back stronger next year.”

Patrick Mahomes walks off the field

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) lowers his head during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 7, 2025. (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)

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The Chiefs finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.





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Carrick given Manchester derby baptism | The Express Tribune

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7 hours ago

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January 16, 2026

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Carrick given Manchester derby baptism | The Express Tribune


Michael Carrick takes charge of Manchester United against Manchester City. Photo: AFP/File


MANCHESTER:

Michael Carrick has the chance to make a fine first impression to his short-term stint as Manchester United manager by derailing local rivals Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge on Saturday.

City, meanwhile, have the chance to cut the gap on leaders Arsenal to three points at Old Trafford, while United need the points to boost their chances of Champions League football next season.
At the other end of the table, Tottenham’s Thomas Frank and West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo are fighting to save their jobs as the sides clash in a London derby.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the weekend action:

Carrick meets challenge ‘head on’

Carrick faces a baptism of fire with the Premier League’s top two the opponents for his first two matches in charge of United.
“It’s what we live for (big games) – some are more challenging than others but it’s why we are here. So we’ll go for it head on,” said Carrick.
Before a daunting trip to Arsenal next weekend, the former United and England midfielder has the chance to galvanise a season at risk of coming completely off the rails.
An FA Cup exit to Brighton last weekend followed a run of just one win in six league games for United either side of Ruben Amorim’s dismissal.

The Red Devils, however, remain well in contention for a place in next season’s Champions League, just three points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool.
Carrick was unbeaten in a previous three-game interim spell at United after the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021.
Since then he gained far more managerial experience at second-tier Middlesbrough, but was sacked in June for failing to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
“I understand the job, what it entails and the responsibility of it,” added Carrick. “Now I feel in a strong place to move forward and, hopefully, be successful here.”
 
Jobs on the line
Both Frank and Nuno have defied speculation over their futures to remain in charge for Saturday’s clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs have won just four of their last 17 games in all competitions to slip to 14th in the Premier League and bow out of both domestic cups.
 Frank is on the brink of joining a long list of managers who have failed to make the grade in north London, including Nuno, who lasted just 17 games as Tottenham boss in 2021.
The Portuguese coach, already sacked once this season by Nottingham Forest, has managed just two wins in 16 Premier League games since joining the Hammers in September.
West Ham desperately need a quick upturn in results as they sit seven points adrift of safety in 18th place,
 
Can Arsenal fell Forest?
Top of both the Premier League and Champions League, the Gunners are on course for an unprecedented quadruple after FA and League Cup victories this week.
But Mikel Arteta’s men must overcome a poor record at the City Ground against a Forest side keen to make amends to their furious manager.
Arsenal have won in just one of their last five visits to Nottingham.
Forest were dumped out of the FA Cup by second-tier Wrexham on penalties last weekend, sparking an outburst from Sean Dyche.
“It’s unacceptable to me, but it’s unacceptable to the badge as well,” he said of his side’s first-half performance left them battling back from 2-0 down before drawing 3-3.



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