26th Jan 2025 – Islamabad: Organized by Islamabad Run with Us (IRU), the premier running community in Pakistan, the Milo’s Islamabad Marathon 2025 united local, national, and international runners in a celebration of athleticism. The Ambassador of United Arab Emirates to Pakistan, H.E Ibrahim Salem Alzaabi, participated in the 10km while Mr. Jakob Linuf, the Denmark Ambassador to Pakistan participated in full marathon.
The Islamabad Marathon serves as a catalyst for marathon tourism, attracting international runners from Europe and America who have travelled specifically to Pakistan to participate. This influx of visitors contributes significantly to projecting a positive image of the country on the world stage and presenting Pakistan as a safe country to travel to.
Over 3,000 runners participated in the Islamabad Marathon, competing across diverse categories: 5km, 10km, half marathon, full marathon, and a dedicated kids’ race. Notably, women demonstrated strong participation across all races.
The event commenced at 8:00 AM with on-site registrations for half and full marathon participants who had not registered beforehand.
Registration closed at 8:00 AM, followed by a 20-minute route briefing session for half and full marathon runners to familiarize them with the course. Subsequently, a 20-minute warm-up session led by Kinetic Gym Trainers prepared the runners for the race. The same schedule was followed for 10k and 5k runners, who started their races later in the morning. This was the first time RFID technology was used the track every runners timings for each category.
Runner’s safety was ensured by a combination of volunteers, cyclists, and route marshals who guided participants along the course. The Islamabad Marathon attracted significant media attention, with numerous television channels and vloggers present to cover the action while Optimize Digital was the official digital media and coverage partner.
Islamabad Marathon was not only a runner’s event, but it also catered to the needs of the families and friends coming along with the runners. With food stalls offering a wide variety of food and other fun activities were planned to keep the family engaged while the runners were competing.
Founded by Qasim Naz, Islamabad Run With Us (IRU) organizes four weekly activities, complemented by day trips and excursions for its members and nonmembers. This vibrant community aims to foster a healthy lifestyle among Islamabad’s citizens by providing a safe and inclusive platform for participation in various fitness activities.
The Islamabad Marathon, was concluded with an awards ceremony, where winners of all the race categories received a total of 1 million in cash prizes.
This marathon was a full-day event designed for runners and their families to engage in healthy activities and connect with like-minded individuals, fostering a stronger and healthier Pakistan.
