Karachiites run fourth commissioner marathon for health and peace

Residents of Karachi actively participated in the 4th Commissioner Karachi Marathon held in collaboration with the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at Nishan-e-Pakistan, Sea View, on Sunday.

The event saw people of all ages and from all walks of life attend the event in large numbers from different parts of the city. Despite the cold weather, people gathered early in the morning to participate in the marathon as they tried to reach the finish line in different categories.

The marathon specified multiple routes for runners of various abilities, including children, families and differently-abled persons, who participated in a special category, namely the Fun Run category.

The runners ended their race by returning to the starting point at Nishan-e-Pakistan. It was encouraging to see the efforts and planning invested to make the event a success. There were designated rest stops throughout the route, with a significant emphasis on safety and security for both spectators and participants.

Several dignitaries attended the event, including Barrister Murtaza Wahab, adviser to Sindh’s chief minister, and other members from the diplomatic corps. Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput was the chief guest, who commended the event organisers and congratulated the winners.

NBP President and CEO (A) Rehmat Ali Hasnie awarded gold medals and cash prizes to the winners. Muhammad Akhtar won the gold medal in the first category of 12km, and Muhammad Yasir Gil in the second category of 7.5km.

Nimra Iqbal won the gold medal in the women’s category, and Fida Hussain in the special category. The gold medallists were also awarded a cash prize of Rs50,000 each.

The first and second runners-up in each category were awarded cash prizes of Rs30,000 and Rs20,000 respectively. Prizes were also given to the Fun Run winners. Moreover, representatives from Japan, Malaysia, Morocco and Russia participated in the race and won prizes.

Hasnie said on the occasion that the NBP is proud to be a part of events like these, and that they commit to supporting a brighter and healthier future for the nation. “The NBP has always been at the forefront of encouraging people to participate in sports and other healthy activities. This is one of the first steps as we continue to collaborate with the Karachi commissioner on several sports projects.”

Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon said the marathon was meant to bring the city’s residents together. “Healthy activities such as these energise the youth and build confidence in them to take the city’s ownership. We aim to engage and empower the community through such activities for the promotion of healthy activities across the city.”

He said the event has strengthened the efforts to promote peace in the city, and positive activities are being carried out through great collaboration with the NBP. “I thank the NBP management for their partnership to make this event successful.”

Thousands of people participated in different categories of the event that was aimed at promoting peace and sports in the provincial capital. In the men’s, women’s and special veteran’s categories, 34 cash prizes were awarded.

In the under-30 men’s 12km category, Muhammad Akhtar stood first, Ali Hasan finished runner-up and Muhammad Sajjad came in third. They were awarded Rs50,000, Rs30,000 and Rs20,000 respectively.

In the special veteran’s category, Tahir Siddiqui stood first. He covered the 12km distance in an hour and five minutes. He has participated in every Commissioner Karachi Marathon. Commissioner Memon said the city administration is trying to promote positive activities in an attempt to maintain peace in the city. “I’m sure the event will also help boost the soft image of Karachi around the world.”

CM’s adviser Wahab also appreciated the marathon. “It’s good that Karachiites participated in the event with full zeal. It shows that Karachiites are peace-loving people.” Foolproof security arrangements had been made for the marathon. The facilities of drinking water, first-aid, toilet and food had been provided at different spots along the marathon route.