Pakistani runners make their mark on the 2025 Chicago Marathon

Pakistani runners from all over the world gave strong performances at the Chicago Marathon in 2025, one of the seven World Marathon, who gathered more than 53,000 participants this year.

The event saw a different group of Pakistani athletes – from those based in Karachi, Lachoris and Islamabad to double nationals and expatriates from the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Gulf – who proudly represent the green flag.

The top of the Pakistani ensemble was Syed Ali Hamza, a Pakistan-American-based Villanova of Pennsylvania, who completed the race in two hours, 55 minutes and 14 seconds, making him the fastest Pakistani final. This was followed by another runner of Pakistani origin, Salman Ilyas, dating 2:56:39, and Nizar Nayani, who ended at 2:57:43.

Nayani said he was running under the Pakistani Banner added a special meaning to his achievement.

“The execution of a marathon is a self-challenge, and especially by crossing the finish line and is able to represent as a Pakistani runner does it all is worth it,” he said.

Among those who traveled from Pakistan, one of the country’s leading runners, Faisal Shafi from Karachi, stood out with a time of 3:18:52, making him the fastest runner based in Pakistan this year. Shafi, an experienced marathon runner and already a seven -star final, said he went to the race with a specific strategic pacing strategy and achieved a personal milestone.

“I wanted to experiment with pacing in the second half,” he said. “I was holding my pace in the first 20-25 kilometers and then pushed harder later, this would remain my most unforgettable run because I ran my second half faster than my first, something rare at long distances. I am happy and proud of it.

Another feature of Pakistan was Karachi’s Dania Ali, who made his big debut at the World Marathon in Chicago. Training on the streets of Karachi, she achieved her personal record with a time of 4:45:07, signaling a remarkable milestone on her journey. Its achievement drew admiration by the local community.

Among the women, Aisha Qamar from the US -based Brooklyn was the fastest female Pakistani runner with a time of 3:00:51, while Maheen Suleman Sheikh based in the United Kingdom from London dates 3:55:29. Karachi’s Sana Malik finished the race at 4:26:27, describing Chicago’s atmosphere as unforgettable.

“I think it went amazing,” Sana said. “I have never experienced a crowd like Chicago. This was an experience we have to remember for decades and I will continue to work hard to get better.”

Several other Pakistan -based runners also gave comic shows, such as Bilal Umar (3:39:29), Shah Faisal Khan (3:57:36), Safdar Ali (4:06:45), Yasir Suleman Memon (4:18:40) (4:21:08) Yawar Siddiqui (3:45:26) from Islamabad and Saood Hamid (5:20:05) from Lahore.

Pakistani runners from abroad also made their presence felt. The notable finals included Osman Sarood (Pakistan-American, San Jose) at 3:44:59, Atiq Ul Hassan (Franklin) at 3:47:43, Abbas Naqvi (based in the US) at 4:12:34 and Imran Zafar (British-Pakistan) 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 at 4:59:25. He was welcomed by fans along the route with the chanting “Happy Birthday!”.

Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda won the men’s title at 2:02:23, followed by Amos Kipruto of Kenya (2:03:54) and Alex Masai (2:04:37). In the women’s struggle, Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia Gejia claimed the victory at 2:14:56, in front of Megertu Alemu (2:17:18) and Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania (2:18:03).

From Villanova to Karachi and London to Riyadh, this year’s Chicago Marathon presented the power, unity and spirit of Pakistani runners around the world. Their performance not only reflected individual excellence, but also underlined Pakistan’s growing footprint on the World Marathon stage.

Chicago Marathon 2025: Pakistani finals under 6 hours

1. Syed Ali Hamza Pak (USA) Villanova 2:55:14
2. Salman Ilyas USA Sammamish 2:56:39
3. Nizar Nayani USA Tomball 2:57:43
4. Irtaza Haider Pak Evanston 3:00:50
5. Aisha Qamar US Brooklyn 3:00:51
6. Faisal Shafi Pak Karachi 3:18:52
7. Muhammad Shah Pak Cincinnati 3:23:12
8. Bilal Umar Pak Karachi 3:39:29
9. Khoula Ahmed Nor – 3:40:21
10. Osman Sarood Pak (US) like Jose 3:44:59
11. Muhammad Yawar Siddiqui Pak Islamabad 3:45:26
12. Atiq ul Hassan Pak (US) Franklin 3:47:43
13. Maheen Suleman Sheikh Pak (GBR) London 3:55:29
14. Shah Faisal Khan Pak Karachi 3:57:36
15. Basil Han Pak Chicago 4:02:17
16. Safdar Ali Pak Karachi 4:06:45
17. Babar Ghias USA Chicago 4:11:41
18. ABBAS NAQVI PAK (USA) Islamabad 4:12:34
19. Adnan AFZAL USA Spring 4:14:42
20. Saba Lodhi Pak Wenatchee 4:17:00
21. Yasir Suleman Memon Pak Karachi 4:18:40
22. Muhammad Umer Shafiq Pak (USA) Islamabad 4:20:24
23. Muhammad Tajdar Iqbal Pak Karachi 4:21:08
24. Sana Malik Pak Karachi 4:26:27
25. Khalid Sarfaraz Pak Abu Dhabi 4:36:46
26. Imran Zaffar GBR Harrow 4:37:31
27. Ghassan Tayyab Pak Naperville 4:42:45
28. Dania Ali Pak Karachi 4:45:07
29. Syed Ahsan Ejaz Pak Karachi 4:45:50
30. Raja Arif Ullah Khan Pak Riyadh 4:49:56
31. Muhammad Rizwan Khawaja USA Scottsdale 5:12:19
32. Faraz Siddiqui Pak Weehawken 5:19:56
33. Shazia Nawaz Pak (UAE) Lahore 5:20:05
34. Saood Hamid Pak Lahore 5:20:05
35. USMAN RAO PAK (USA) Karachi 5:16:16
36. Fawaz Qamar Pak Gujranwala 5:31:48
37. Ahmed Khan Pak Bristol 5:47:47
38. Muhammad YouSuf Pak Karachi 5:58:19
39. Syeda Maimoona Hamdani Pak Karachi 5:58:31

Source: Chicago Marathon Website