LAHORE: The largest marathon and cycling event in Pakistan’s history kicked off on Sunday morning under the aegis of the Lahore Sports Board Punjab, drawing over 11,000 registered athletes and citizens to the streets of the provincial capital.
لاہور میں نیشنل میراتھن و سائیکلنگ ریس کا آغاز 🏃♂ pic.twitter.com/vUIQYzxXnL
— Maryam Malik (@MaryamMalikPK) April 19, 2026
Provincial Minister for Sports Punjab, Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar, inaugurated the cycling race by riding a bicycle himself, with several other provincial ministers also attending as special guests.
The flagship 21-kilometre half marathon and cycling race began at 6 am from Liberty Chowk, an event featuring a diverse range of categories, including a 21-km half marathon for men, a 21-km bicycle race for men, a 5-km marathon and cycling race for women, a 2-km family fun run, and a 1-km wheelchair race.
Thousands thronged the streets of Lahore for the event, with a large number of youth prominently visible among the participants. According to Minister Khokhar, many enthusiastic Lahoreites had arrived at Liberty Chowk as early as the night before, while participants were lining up since 5 am.
In the 21-kilometre men’s marathon, Muhammad Akhtar claimed the top position, followed by M. Aamir in second place and M. Irfan in third. The 21-km men’s bicycle race saw Ali Ilyas from Karachi emerge victorious, with Aqib Shah from Lahore finishing second and Sanaullah from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa taking third place.
The 5-km women’s bicycle race proved to be a Karachi affair, with Zainab winning first position, Anisa securing second place, and Rabi finishing third. In the 1-km wheelchair race, Ahmed Shehryar from Multan claimed victory, followed by Zahid Nazir from Lahore in second place and Nawaz Rashid in third.
Speaking to the media, Minister Faisal Ayub Khokhar described the event as officially the biggest marathon in Pakistan’s history. He remarked that it is difficult to wake up Lahoreites at 5 am, but Maryam Nawaz made it possible, crediting the Chief Minister’s vision for inspiring such unprecedented public participation. He confirmed that a total of 11,000 male and female athletes had registered for the event, underscoring the growing culture of sports and fitness in Punjab.
