24 Pakistani-Origin Runners to Compete in Sydney Marathon

SYDNEY: As the Sydney Marathon gets underway in Australia, 24 Pakistani and Pakistani-origin runners will take part in one of the world's major marathon events, joining more than 40,000 participants from around the globe.

The Pakistani contingent includes 19 men and five women, with runners based in Pakistan, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Twelve participants have travelled from Pakistan to compete in the race.

The runners from Karachi include Khalid Sheikh, Dr Jahanzeb Mughal, Noushirwan Ali, Shoaib Nizami, Ali Qazi, Danish Elahi, Hasnain Dharamsay and Yousuf Malik.

The five female runners are Kokab Sarwar, Dr Rabia Naeem, Mehwish 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 on the marathon's official start list.

Danish Elahi, who is from Karachi, will represent Pakistan in a distinctive way by running the marathon in traditional shalwar kameez. He said his aim was to project a positive and softer image of Pakistan while raising awareness about the country.

Elahi said the Sydney Marathon would be his seventh marathon and that he was particularly excited about taking part, describing Sydney as an ideal city for running.

The 42.195-kilometre race will begin in North Sydney. Runners will pass through some of the city's iconic landmarks, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour, before crossing the finish line near the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Marathon became part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025. Following the addition of Cape Town in 2026, the World Marathon Majors series now comprises eight races.

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Mike Netheryanaks will also participate in the Sydney Marathon. Although he is not officially part of the Pakistani contingent, his participation is linked to Pakistan as he is raising funds for The Citizens Foundation, which works to promote education in Pakistan.

Netheryanaks has set a target of raising $1 million through six marathons in 2026. The Sydney Marathon will be the third race of his six-marathon fundraising campaign.