Pakistani runners delivered impressive performances at Sunday’s Sydney Marathon, the first edition of the event since its elevation to Abbott World Marathon Major status, with Karachi’s Faisal Shafi setting a Guinness World Record of running in a light military uniform to honour the country’s armed forces.
The race, now the seventh member of the prestigious marathon majors series alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York, took runners on a scenic tour of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks.
The course wound past the Opera House, across the Harbour Bridge, through the Royal Botanic Garden and along the picturesque waterfront of Sydney Cove.
Faisal Shafi completed the challenging 42.195-kilometre course in three hours, 40 minutes and 13 seconds while wearing light military gear, establishing what the Guinness World Records confirmed as a new world record for the category.
His achievement highlighted a strong showing by Pakistan’s running community in this historic inaugural major marathon.
