A record number of Pakistanis, including those belonging to the Pakistani diaspora abroad, will feature in the 2024 London Marathon set to take place in the British capital on Sunday (tomorrow).
As many as 27 Pakistani runners, the largest number to date, will take part in the marathon which is considered one of the most popular running events whose route features various iconic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London and the Canary Wharf and others.
Pakistani runners hailing from Karachi, Islamabad, Dubai, the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway will participate in the famed marathon which was first held in 1981.
Journalist Rehman Azhar will be running his third World major in London, followed by Berlin and Chicago in 2023.
Babar Ghias and Jamal Khan, the Pakistani expats from Chicago and New York, are also on the track to complete their Six Star journey and the London Marathon will bring them one step closer to their objective.
Co-founder of Islamabad Running Club, Bilal Ehsan, will also be running the London Marathon with the event being his third world major after New York and Berlin.
Several Pakistani women marathon runners will be part of the London Marathon in 2024. Many of the participants were part of Pakistan’s largest contingent in the Berlin marathon of 2023.
Semeena Khan, a British Pakistani marathon runner and coach based in England, is returning to the London Marathon representing “Muslim Runners” — an award-winning running community of the UK.
Two couples, Uzma Abid and Abdul Samee and Zain Anwar and Nada Anwar, who finished the Berlin Marathon, are also set to join the London Marathon together.
First marathon since Kiptum’s demise
The 2024 London Marathon will be the first one since the death of Kelvin Kiptum, the winner of last year’s event, who passed away in a car accident in Kenya in February.
A tribute will also be paid to Kelvin Kiptum, who set the course record with a time of 2hr 1min 25sec last year, on Sunday.
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Phil Dunster will be among the celebrities who will take part in the marathon while also making their London debut.
| Name | Nationality |
| Bilal Ehsan | Pakistan |
| Rehman Azhar | Pakistan |
| Yawar Siddiqui | Pakistan |
| Nida Yawar | Pakistan |
| Muhammad Babar | Pakistan |
| Dr Ahmad Zubair | United Kingdom |
| Uzma Abid | Pakistan |
| Abdul Samee | Pakistan |
| Imran Khan Niazi | Pakistan |
| Hira Diwan | United Kingdom |
| Jamal Khan | United States |
| Babar Ghias | United States |
| Shah Faisal Khan | Pakistan |
| Sarah Lodhi | Pakistan |
| Semeena Khan | United Kingdom |
| Zain Anwar | Pakistan |
| Nada Anwar | Pakistan |
| Zohaib Moin | Pakistan |
| Raees Ebrahim | United States |
| Murtaza Zaidi | Pakistan |
| Shariq Samad | United States |
| Fawad Karim | United Kingdom |
| Nazakat Ali | United Kingdom |
| Jevi Majid | Pakistan |
| Faisal Sahfi (Senior) | Pakistan |
| Miqdad Mohammed | Canada |
| Mohammad Malkera | United Kingdom |
How to watch, track runners
Those who wish to watch the event can download the London Marathon application which even allows users to search for a runner using either their name or bib number.
Furthermore, users can also create a tracking list to follow multiple runners.
The London Marathon will be broadcast live on BBC as well as BBC iPlayer and the Red Button.
Leading entries
Women
Tigist Assefa (ETH) 2:11:53
Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04
Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:14:18
Tigist Ketema (ETH) 2:16:07
Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:17:09
Men
Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:01:41
Alexander Mutiso Munyao (KEN) 2:03:11
Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:03:39
Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48
Kinde Atanaw (ETH) 2:03:51
