THE rising trend of distance-running in the country was on full display at the Karachi Marathon held on Sunday. Thousands of people of every age, gender and background took part, some of them competitive runners and others there for the experience. In a boost for the organising committee, the sponsors of the World Athletics-accredited event — whose distance is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races — announced they would sponsor the men’s and women’s winners — Israr Khattak and Sara Lodhi respectively — to participate in the London Marathon this year. The move is aimed at boosting the international profile of local athletes while putting Pakistan on the global distance-running map. The organisers and sponsors should be lauded for their efforts. The Karachi Marathon has risen from humble beginnings and very little support to holding its third edition. Indeed, the event would be more representative of the city if its route included landmark monuments. Up until now, it has been limited to loops around the city’s most affluent housing scheme. But it was heartening to note that race director Shoaib Nizami acknowledged in the lead-up to the event that next year’s edition will encompass a greater part of the city, with Mayor Murtaza Wahab offering full support from the KMC and the government to ensure that that happens.

While such a move would project the real vibrancy of Karachi to the world, for now, at the very least, and with the event becoming a regular fixture in the sporting calendar, it has galvanised the passion for distance-running in the city and beyond. Not only is it promoting healthy activity, with so many people actively taking part, it is also offering a chance for the country’s talent to project itself. It has essentially started a movement and the hope is that one day it can propel an athlete from Pakistan to the very pinnacle of distance-running: a world or an Olympic title.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2026