Pakistani runners to feature in London Marathon 2024 in record numbers

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 30 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, the Pakistani expat from Chicago, is also on the track to complete his Six Star journey and London Marathon will bring him one step closer.

Co-founder of Islamabad Running Club (IRC), Bilal Ehsan, will also be running London Marathon as his third world major after New York and Berlin. IRC Members Yawar Siddiqui and Ammar Mumtaz are also running London Marathon 2024.

Ammar Mumtaz could not join Tokyo Marathon 2024 because Japan did not issue visa to him.

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 London Marathon representing the award-winning running community of UK “Muslim Runners”.

Jevi Majid, a former ASICS frontrunner and now representing New Balance will be there as well. She is a Norwegian of Pakistani descent who is working on promoting healthy lifestyle in South Asian women.

While there are many runners taking part in London Marathon, couples, Uzma Abid and Abdul Samee and Zain Anwar and Nada Anwar from Karachi, who finished Berlin Marathon, are also set to join London Marathon together. Yawar Siddqui of IRC is running London marathon with his wife Nida Yawar.

UAE-based Pakistani marathon runner and fitness coach Sarah Lodhi will also be one of the participants. She has run four marathons, Munich, Dubai, Tokyo and Berlin, in the past. Apart from London, she will also take part in the Chicago marathon this year.

Australia-born Pakistani British banker Hira Diwan has now completed 5 stars in Abbott Marathon Majors program with her Tokyo Marathon in March 2024 with the time of 3:42:44.

This time she will be running London Marathon for the 5th time and it will be her 12th International Marathon. She ran her first London marathon in 2011 while working with Bank of America in UK.

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.

Pakistani runners at London Marathon

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