Pakistani runners compete in Chicago Marathon, Nizar Niyani shines

Summary

• Pakistani runners from across the world delivered a determined performance at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, with Texas-based Nizar Niyani emerging as one of the standout participants after narrowly missing his target of completing the gruelling race in under three hours.
• Karachi’s Mustafa completed the marathon in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 18 seconds, while New York-based Bushra Anjum led the Pakistani women with a time of 3 hours, 31 minutes and one second.
• The women’s race also produced a historic milestone, with three athletes finishing in under 2 hours and 15 minutes in the same race for the first time in marathon history.

AI Generated Summary

Pakistani runners from across the world delivered a determined performance at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, with Texas-based Nizar Niyani emerging as one of the standout participants after narrowly missing his target of completing the gruelling race in under three hours.

Niyani finished the 42.195-kilometre race in three hours and 45 seconds, missing the three-hour milestone by just 46 seconds, according to the reported results. Despite falling short of his personal target, he remained among the most prominent Pakistani participants in the prestigious international event.

Karachi’s Mustafa completed the marathon in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 18 seconds, while New York-based Bushra Anjum led the Pakistani women with a time of 3 hours, 31 minutes and one second.

Abubakar Muhammad Afzal crossed the finish line in 3:32:39, followed by Pakistani-American Babar Ghias, who recorded 3:42:44.

The performances highlighted the participation of Pakistani runners from different cities and countries in one of the world’s most recognised marathon events.

Niyani comes close to three-hour target

Niyani made a strong start, completing the first 10 kilometres in 40 minutes and 22 seconds before reaching the halfway point in 1 hour, 25 minutes and 41 seconds.