BERLIN: At least 27 Pakistani and Pakistani-origin runners are set to compete in the 2026 Berlin Marathon on Sunday, joining more than 56,000 entrants from 162 nations in one of the world's most celebrated road races.
According to reports, the 42.195-kilometer race will be held Sept. 27, with the wider marathon weekend expected to draw more than 84,000 participants across its various events.
The Pakistani contingent includes runners traveling from Karachi as well as members of the diaspora based in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Norway.
Munir Imran, Mehwish Hanif, Zubair Umar, Khalid Sheikh, Bilal Umar and Aamir Bhagat are among the Karachi-based runners, while Ayesha Akhtar, Muhammad Uzair Butt, Farhad Nasar Chaudhary, Rahat Gillani and Junaid Memon will travel from the United States.
Hamad Ali and Muhammad Tariq are among the U.K.-based participants, with Saifullah coming from Canada and Imran Ghayur Ahmed from Norway.
Other Pakistani runners listed on the Berlin Marathon's website include Salima Ali, Syed Zeeshan Ali, Omar Ansari, Fatima Chaudhry, Hamza Farooq, Nadia Kamani, Muhammad Anas Khalid Khan, Taimur Khan, Fahad Nadeem, Muhammad Rehan Rafi, Maheen Sheikh and Muhammad Zuberi.
For Karachi's Bilal Umar, Berlin will be his fourth World Marathon Major in 12 months. He said his goal this time is not to chase the personal best of 3:30 he recorded in Tokyo earlier this year.
"I want to enjoy the Berlin race," Bilal told Geo News, adding that he completed a structured 12-week training block and is targeting a finish of around 3 hours, 40 to 45 minutes.
Bilal said preparing for Berlin on the roads of Karachi presented its own challenge, particularly during the city's hot and humid summer.
"I just want to go out there and finish strong," he said. "A successful race for me would be to maintain a consistent pace across the 42km and carry the Pakistan flag across the finish line."
For U.K.-based Pakistani runner Muhammad Tariq, Sunday's race will mark his first World Marathon Major and comes after an emotionally demanding training period.
Tariq, who trained on the streets of Karachi, said his father had been unwell during much of his preparation and credited his family's support with helping him continue training through a difficult period.
"I hope to run strong, enjoy the experience and cross the finish line with gratitude for everyone who supported me," he said.
Runners will start from Straße des 17. Juni in the heart of Berlin, between the Brandenburg Gate and Kleiner Stern, with the first of six waves scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m. local time.
The course takes participants through several of Berlin's best-known districts and landmarks, including the Victory Column, Alexanderplatz, Berlin Cathedral, Potsdamer Platz, Kurfürstendamm and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church before returning runners toward the historic center.
The closing kilometers take runners along Unter den Linden and through the Brandenburg Gate before the finish on Straße des 17. Juni, one of the most recognizable finishes in international marathon running.
Berlin has long been synonymous with fast marathon running. Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge ran 2:01:09 there in 2022, then a world record, and organizers are again expecting a quick elite race this year. Five men on the 2026 start list have personal bests below 2:05.
