Runners cover Margalla trail in marathon

The third Margalla Hills Half Marathon was organised by the Margalla Trail Runners (MTR) club at the Margalla Hills National Park where passionate runners from Islamabad and other parts of Pakistan took part alongside the diplomatic community.

This one-of-a-kind marathon is held annually in Pakistan along the uphill route of Margalla Hills in the capital city, Islamabad. Sponsored by Season Canola and supported by prominent organisations including Fatima Group, Hiker.pk, Spaceman Studios, Optimize Digital, and Nibl Foods, the marathon concluded with resounding success as nearly 200 runners participated in it.

The route for the Half Marathon was a scenic one as it started from the trail which had the Margalla Hills as its backdrop and went all the way from Margalla Avenue to Daman-e-Koh, passing Monal and ending at the border crossing into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Pir Sohawa.

It was an elevation of 800m, which was at times challenging for the runners, but with perfect weather conditions, all runners had a great time running in the marathon. The event saw enthusiastic participation from members of various clubs and age groups, who showcased their spirit of unity and athleticism.

Apart from members of Margalla Trail Runners Club participating clubs such as Islamabad Running Club, Islamabad Run with Us, Falcon Triathlon Club, Critical Mass Lahore, Hiker.pk and Pakistan Road Runners, along with representatives from the diplomatic community of the USA, UK, Canada, Netherlands and Philippines, contributed to the event's success through their enthusiastic involvement and sportsmanship.

The winners of the Margalla Hills Half Marathon, Faizan Zulfiqar and Sehr Ali, demonstrated exceptional endurance and skill, emerging victorious amidst fierce competition.

Among the male runners, Faizan Zulfiqar came first and completed his Half Marathon in 1 hour 25 mins and 55 seconds, Shahban stood 2nd at 1-second delay, while Mubariz Bukhari came 3rd with a time record of 1 hour 32 minutes and 45 taken to complete his run.

Among the female athletes, Sehr led with 2 hours 37 minutes, followed by Anum Uzair with 2 hours 42 minutes and Hajira Rehman with 2 hours 46 minutes.

The Margallah Hills Half Marathon showed how the power of sports unites people from different walks of life and promotes a culture of fitness and well-being. The event would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors and the unwavering dedication of its participants, organisers and volunteers.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2024.