KARACHI: At least 30 Pakistanis and Pakistan-origin runners will participate in the 2026 Chicago Marathon tomorrow (Sunday).
The 48th edition of the Chicago Marathon, one of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors, is expected to attract around 55,000 participants from across the world, who will cover the 42.195-kilometre distance through the streets of Chicago.
Among the Pakistani runners is Houston-based Nizar Nayani, who is targeting a sub-three-hour finish in what will be his fifth appearance at the Chicago Marathon.
“My goal is to go under three hours. The training block has been a little difficult due to the extreme heat in Houston, Texas. Overall, it came along and I feel good,” Nayani said ahead of the race.
Despite his previous experience at Chicago, Nayani said the excitement of returning to the event remained unchanged.
“This will be my fifth Chicago Marathon and it still feels like a brand-new race. Love this city,” he added.
Nayani is among the experienced Pakistani-origin distance runners competing internationally, and Chicago’s relatively flat course offers him an opportunity to achieve his target.
The Pakistani contingent includes Abdul Lateef, Abu-Bakr Mohammad Afzal, Ahmad Zubair, Aisha Intesar, Amaad Shaikh, Anis Kasmani, Ayman Iftikhar, Babar Javed, Basherri Anjum, Basil Khan, Danyal Ameer Lakdawala, Ghassan Tayyab, Hamid Rashid Butt, Haroon Saeed, Hasan Saleem, Ibrahim Abdul Khaliq, Muhammad Mohsin, Nida Syed, Nizar Nayani, Sadia Sattar, Sara Rathore, Taha Hussain, Taimoor Malik and Zara Ordonez.
Six runners of Pakistani origin, who are registered under other nationalities, will also feature in the marathon.
They include British-Pakistani runners Hamad Ali, Wardah Mir, Nazakat Ali and Hassan Abbas Ali, along with Chicago-based Pakistani-American Babar Ghias and fellow American-Pakistani Farah Charania.
Hamad Ali will be participating in another major international marathon just two weeks after completing the Berlin Marathon on September 27, where he clocked 4:17:49.
Chicago-based Babar Ghias will have the advantage of running in familiar surroundings, while several other Pakistani participants will be looking to improve their personal bests or add another international marathon to their running records.
The Chicago Marathon is known for its fast and relatively flat course, which starts and finishes in Grant Park and passes through 29 neighbourhoods of the city. The route has historically attracted runners attempting personal-best performances and qualifying times for other major marathons.
For Pakistani runners, the event represents another significant presence at a World Marathon Major, following participation by more than two dozen Pakistanis in last month’s Berlin Marathon.
The growing representation of Pakistani runners at international marathons reflects the increasing popularity of long-distance running within Pakistan and among overseas Pakistani communities.
