In Lahore, running is not a simple transaction of shoes and road. It is a small negotiation with heat, noise, and the stubborn air that sits on the streets like a thought that refuses to move on. You run anyway. You learn to keep a clean line inside your head when the city won’t give you one outside. Valencia, by contrast, felt like a clear sky, sea wind, and a clock that finally said what I had been trying to say: 2 hours and 41 minutes; just about!
For someone raised in Pakistan and shaped by Lahore’s weather, food, and family, it felt like a quiet turning of the page. To place it in context, here are some marathon times by Pakistani runners in 2024:
🇯🇵 Tokyo: Nizar Nayani - 2:53 🇺🇸 Boston: Hamza Syed - 2:43 🇬🇧 London: Usman Muhammad - 2:59 🇩🇪 Berlin: Dr Salman Khan - 3:16 🇺🇸 Chicago: Amin Mukaty - 2:44 🇺🇸 NYC: Ali Hamza - 2:41 🏁 Valencia: Abdullah Athar - 2:41
Training Journey
I kicked off my Valencia Marathon training block while visiting family in Lahore. Due to the intense winter smog, most of my early runs were on treadmills — not ideal, but a necessary adaptation. Lahore’s challenging environment makes outdoor running tough, yet it also builds mental grit and resilience.
After returning to the UK, I continued my training in much more runner-friendly conditions. The cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and scenic trails allowed me to focus on refining my performance rather than just battling the elements. The supportive running community here played a key role in keeping me motivated and consistent.
For runners in Pakistan, winter is still one of the best times to train — cooler mornings and crisp air (once the smog clears) make for great long runs. If you can adapt to Lahore’s challenges, you can run anywhere. I averaged ~90 km / week for the training block.
Race Day
On race day in Valencia, the conditions were nearly perfect. I was surrounded by runners from all over the world, all with their own stories, their own difficulties left behind to chase a goal in this vibrant Spanish city.
Somewhere around 31 km, and again at 39, my eyes filled. Not from pain. From the simple recognition that the line I had been tracing would reach the finish. Just before the second time, I saw my wife on the side. A small wave, a familiar face, and something in me loosened.
There were untidy details too. The heart-rate strap chafed my side until the blood found its way onto my shirt and shoes. It looked worse than it felt, which is often the case. I kept moving. The blue carpet appeared when it should, and then it was done. Later, there was paella—hot, fragrant, unpretentious. The kind of meal that lets the day end without argument.
After the Clock
The marathon was only the visible paragraph of a long, unglamorous book. The real thing was built elsewhere: loops around Butts Close, Tuesday sessions with the boys, long runs with Kate on the bike beside me, steady and kind. The race was the line you see; the training was the pages that came before it.
Enjoying tasty Valencia orange juice after completing the marathon. Just what the doctor ordered…
Next Goals 🎯
I’m aiming for sub-2:38 at the London Marathon 2026—the championship standard. To get there I’ll need 3:45 per kilometre (6:02 per mile), not once or twice but across the length of the thing. My current rhythm sits near 3:48 per kilometre. Three seconds can feel small on a watch and large in the legs. Still, small differences add up, the way consistent mornings add up. Inshallah, we keep going.