Faizan, Enub Win Top Spots at Islamabad Marathon

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Islamabad: Faizan Zulfiqar and Enub claimed top spots in the Islamabad Marathon 2024 organized here at the Trail 3 Parking on Sunday.

Faizan Zulfiqar bagged the first position in the male category in the Full Marathon, while Umair and Mubaris Bukhari grabbed the second and third positions, respectively.

In the Full Marathon female category, Enub, Amina Shah, and Ayesha Mastoor took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

In the half marathon male category, Naveed, Irfan, and Naghman took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

In the half-marathon female category, Jennie, Christina Vezel, and Huma Rehman took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

In the 10km male category, Akhtar, Riaz, and Waqar Ahmed took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

In the 10km female category, Rabeela Farooq, Maheen Tahir, and Anum Tahir took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

In the 5km male category, Samiullah, Kamil Hussain, and Junaid Dildar took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

In the 5km female category, Amna Khan, Laila Kazmi, and Kanwal took first, second, and third positions, respectively.

People from all walks of life, including children, were featured in the marathon to promote and encourage healthy activity in the federal capital.

Hundreds of participants from different cities in Pakistan, along with the diplomatic community based in Pakistan, participated in the 4th edition of Adam’s Islamabad Marathon, organized by enthusiasts from the running community Islamabad Run With Us (IRU).

Despite some drizzle and overcast weather conditions, a great increase in the number of participants from last year was witnessed as over 1500 runners participated in the different categories.

The Islamabad Marathon 2024 was organized with the full support of the Capital Development Authority, District Administration Islamabad, and Capital Traffic Police.

Qasim Naz, the founder of Islamabad Run With Us, said the main objective of the event was to promote a healthy lifestyle, promote marathon tourism, and project a positive image of Pakistan all over the world.

The runners also passed through Shakarparian as they completed their 21.1 and 42.2 km distances.

Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Jakob Linulf, participated in the run and appreciated the role of organizers in putting on a great running event Jakob also ran a full marathon last year along with his brother.

The High Commissioner of Australia to Pakistan, Neil Hawkins, also attended the Islamabad Marathon and loved how the running community from different walks of life participated.

The event has a special appearance by a USA-based veteran 74-year-old marathon runner, Brent Weigner, who ran his 398th marathon, and Pakistan was his 205th country to run a marathon.

Talking about his experience, Brent said he loved the atmosphere and appreciated the love and warm welcome he got from the people of Pakistan.

The running event included five different categories to cater to the vast participation of all ages and of different athletic abilities. A full marathon of 42km, a half marathon of 21 km, 10 km, and 5 km of running were the categories that were primarily chosen for adults and teenagers.

A special category of Kids Fun Run for children under 14 years was also organized to encourage children, and they loved their participation with great enthusiasm. To encourage the runners, cash prizes were given to the top 3 winners from all categories.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Anwar-ul-Haq, who was the chief guest at the closing ceremony, appreciated IRU for organizing an international-level running event in Islamabad.

He also mentioned that very soon Islamabad would have safe and dedicated tracks for cycling to promote healthy activities.

President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries Ahsan Bakhtawar also attended the event and said he was very impressed by the dedication of the running community to organize such a big running event and committed to support such events in the future.

Adam’s Milk Foods is synonymous with a healthy life and is always focused on developing and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Running is one of the healthiest sports, and Adam’s always looking forward to promoting it. The IRU Marathon is one of its kind, and Adam’s takes pride in becoming the title sponsor of this event, said Babar Riaz, Commercial Director, Adam Milk Foods Limited.

On the occasion, Rina Saeed Khan, Chairperson of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), said that Islamabad is gifted with beautiful outdoor locations for healthy activities, and the IWMB is working very hard to manage the trails under the slogan My Waste, My Responsibility.