Pakistan runners set for Berlin Marathon 2025

KARACHI: A strong contingent of more than 17 runners of Pakistani origin will line up at the start of the Berlin Marathon on Sunday (today) bringing both home-based and diaspora representation to one of the world’s most prestigious road races.

Among the participants, Denmark-based runner Zeeshan Rab stands out for his remarkable endurance journey. Berlin will mark his 41st career marathon and his 18th marathon this year alone. Having first raced in Berlin years ago, Rab describes the city as “always very special,” noting it was the course of his debut and the site of several of his personal bests.

“Berlin Marathon is always a fast track, it was my first marathon, so It is always very special. I have always set PBs on this track,” Zeeshan said. “This is my 5th Berlin. I’m hoping for another PB this year, but the weather conditions are not favorable. Hopefully that can change.”

Rab, who completed the Flensburg Marathon on September 7 as a tune-up, has set a target of finishing between 3 hours 50 minutes and 3 hours 59 minutes, though he admits that conditions might push him into the 4:10 to 4:15 range. His larger mission is to reach 50 marathons before turning 50, with Berlin moving him closer to that milestone. “After Berlin, I hope to complete another nine races to reach my 50th before June 26, Insha’Allah,” he said.

Also representing Pakistan is Karachi-based runner Hina Shaukat, one of the few women in the squad. For her, Berlin is about more than timing. “My biggest goal for Berlin is to finish strong, injury-free, and to truly enjoy every step of the race,” Hina said. “I don’t want to be looking at my watch wondering ‘when will this end?’ instead, I want to cross the finish line thinking, ‘I can’t wait to do this again.’”

She trained for 12 weeks in Karachi’s sweltering summer, often beginning her long runs at 5 a.m. to beat the heat. “The biggest challenge has been the extreme humidity. Looking back, it’s been less about perfect workouts and more about building resilience, and I hope that shows up on race day in Berlin,” she said.