Pakistani runners from around the globe delivered strong performances at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, one of the seven World Marathon Majors, which saw participation from over 53,000 athletes this year.

The marathon featured a diverse group of Pakistani participants from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to dual nationals and expatriates from the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and the Gulf proudly representing Pakistan across the 42.195-kilometre course through Chicago’s streets.

Leading the contingent was Syed Ali Hamza, a Pakistani-American from Villanova, Pennsylvania, who finished in 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 14 seconds, making him the fastest Pakistani finisher.

He was followed closely by fellow USA-based Pakistani runners Salman Ilyas (2:56:39) and Nizar Nayani (2:57:43).

“Running a marathon is a personal challenge, and crossing the finish line while representing Pakistan made it all the more meaningful,” Nayani said.

Among Pakistan-based runners, Faisal Shafi from Karachi emerged as the fastest with a time of 3:18:52.

The experienced seven-star finisher shared that his pacing strategy, holding steady for the first 20–25 kilometres before pushing harder in the latter half, made this race his most memorable.

Dania Ali, also from Karachi, made her World Marathon Major debut, achieving a personal best of 4:45:07. Her accomplishment was widely praised by the local running community.

In the women’s category, U.S.-based Aisha Qamar from Brooklyn was the fastest female Pakistani runner with a time of 3:00:51, followed by London-based Maheen Suleman Sheikh at 3:55:29.

Karachi’s Sana Malik completed the marathon in 4:26:27, calling the atmosphere in Chicago “unforgettable.”

“I’ve never experienced a crowd like Chicago’s,” Sana said. “This was an experience I’ll remember for decades, and I’m motivated to come back even stronger.”

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

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