Saqib finished the marathon in an impressive two hours, 49 minutes and 33 seconds, becoming the only Pakistani runner to complete the race in under three hours.
Muhammad Sajjad secured second place among Pakistani participants with a time of three hours, 17 minutes and 29 seconds, while Iqbal Ali Khan finished third in three hours, 23 minutes and 58 seconds.
Saqib crossed the finish line 27 minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Sajjad, while Iqbal finished 34 minutes and 25 seconds after the leading Pakistani runner.
Race split times showed that Sajjad had initially held the advantage over Saqib. At the halfway point, Sajjad was ahead by one minute and 51 seconds, extending his lead to two minutes and four seconds at the 25-kilometre mark and six minutes and 17 seconds at 30 kilometres.
However, Saqib mounted a remarkable comeback in the final stages. By the 35-kilometre mark, Sajjad’s lead had narrowed to just 36 seconds, and Saqib had moved clearly ahead by the 40-kilometre point.
According to adjusted split-time figures, Saqib held a 17-minute-and-43-second advantage at 40 kilometres. Between the 35- and 40-kilometre marks, Sajjad recorded a split of 38 minutes and 29 seconds, compared with Saqib’s 20 minutes and 10 seconds.
Among the other Pakistani men, Irfan Ali finished in three hours, 52 minutes and 47 seconds, followed by Kamran Yousaf, who completed the race in four hours, two minutes and 19 seconds.
Muhammad Asad Siddiqui crossed the finish line in four hours, 21 minutes and two seconds, while Muhammad Zeeshan Ali finished in four hours, 28 minutes and 40 seconds. Adeel Mansoor Khan recorded a time of four hours, 39 minutes and two seconds.
In the women’s category, Mehnaz Naveed was the leading Pakistani finisher, completing the marathon in four hours, 52 minutes and six seconds. Sanaina finished in five hours, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
Other Pakistani runners who completed the race included Muhammad Gulraiz Khan in five hours, two minutes and 43 seconds; Muhammad Asad Khan in five hours, 21 minutes and 36 seconds; Naufal Elahi in five hours, 35 minutes and 11 seconds; and Qasim Saeed in five hours, 42 minutes and 13 seconds.
Muhammad Ashar Siddiqui finished in five hours, 46 minutes and 22 seconds, while Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan recorded six hours, 12 minutes and one second. Fahad Mansoori and Muhammad Arsalan Ayub completed the race in six hours, 14 minutes and 12 seconds and six hours, 14 minutes and 57 seconds, respectively.
The Istanbul Marathon is recognised as the world’s only intercontinental marathon, with runners crossing the Bosphorus Bridge from Asia into Europe before finishing at Sultanahmet Square.
Kenya’s Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba won the elite men’s race in two hours, eight minutes and 44 seconds, setting a new course record. Ethiopia’s Kasanech Ayenew Baze claimed the women’s title in two hours, 24 minutes and 40 seconds.