The Lahore Marathon is an annual road marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 held in Lahore

Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

, Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

 since 2005. The main event is the traditional 42.195 km marathon race. Other races in the marathon include a 10 km race, 5 km "Family Fun Run", and 3 km races for people with physical and visual impairment. The marathon is preceded by a gala dinner for international athletes, foreign dignitaries, government and corporate leaders. Approximately 26,000 people participated in the Lahore Marathon in total in 2007, making it one of the major marathons of the world.http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=248&Itemid=40

History

The inaugural marathon took place on January 30, 2005, with over 60 elite runners participating in a field of 17,500. Tseko Mpolokeng of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 was the first winner of the competition, with a time of 2:16:57. The first Pakistani to cross the finish line was Mohammad Aslam. Jane Kariuki of Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 was the first winner of the women's division.

The second running of the marathon took place on January 29, 2006. The 2007 edition took place on January 14, 2007.

The course

The 42 km traditional marathon is a closed circuit which begins and ends at the gates of Gaddafi Stadium

Gaddafi Stadium

Gaddafi Stadium is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan who also designed Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. Following the ground's renovation for the 1996 Cricket World...

 in Gulberg.

Runners begin by crossing the Ferozepur Road bridge and pass the historic districts of Ichhra

Ichhra

Ichhra is a commercial and residential area in Lahore, Pakistan.-History:The neighbourhood was named after the death of an old woman who's nickname was Mai Ichhra of now Muslim Kamboja tribe who migrated from Mesopotamia/Mittani having worshipped in ancient times their mother goddess Ishara, sacred...

 and Mozang

Mozang Chungi

Mozang Chungi or Mozang is an area in Lahore, Pakistan. Nearby areas are Jail Road, Choubarji and famous Anarkali Bazar. It is located at 31°32'55N 74°18'54E. The area came under attention after the controversial Raymond Allen Davis incident took place here....

 before reaching Chauburji

Chauburji

Chauburji is one of the most famous monuments among the structures and buildings of the Mughal era in the city of Lahore, Pakistan....

. The course passes the Data Durbar Complex

Data Durbar Complex

Data Darbar , located in the city of Lahore, Pakistan is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in the sub-continent. It houses the remains of a Sufi saint, Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery...

 and approaches the half way stage, where it loops back towards the finish line in between Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan is a tall minaret in Iqbal Park Lahore, built in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution. The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed...

 and Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort

The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...

. Runners run alongside the famous Badshahi Masjid and pass the Bhati Gate

Bhati Gate

The Bhati Gate is located within Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Bhati Gate entrance is located on the Western wall of the Old City. It is one of the two oldest entry points into the Walled City which controlled the only major north-south thoroughfare during Ghaznavid period...

 and Taksali Gate of the Walled City of Lahore

Walled City of Lahore

The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the "Old City," or "Anderoon Shehr ," is the section of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era.-Origins:The origins of the original Lahore are unspecific...

. The course then runs through The Mall

The Mall (Lahore)

The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan , is one of the city's main roads, and, along with the Grand Trunk Road, one of its most famous as well...

, passing several notable sites such as Lahore Museum

Lahore Museum

Lahore Museum , established in 1894, is located in The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Rudyard Kipling's father, John Lockwood Kipling, was one of the famous curators of the museum. Over 250,000 admissions were registered in 2005.-Attractions:...

, Kim's Gun

Zamzama

The Zamzama Gun, also known as Kim’s Gun or Bhangianwala Toap is a large bore cannon. It was cast in 1757 in Lahore, now in Pakistan but at the time part of the Durrani Empire...

, and Bagh-e-Jinnah

Bagh-e-Jinnah

Bagh-e-Jinnah is a historical park in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. It was formerly known as Lawrence Gardens. Today, the large green space contains a botanical garden, a mosque, and Jinnah library situated in a Victorian building.There are also entertainment and sports facilities within the...

. The route turns onto Canal Road and makes a loop around Kalma Chowk, before finishing at the gates of Gaddafi Stadium.

Men's race

Year	Athlete	Country	Time
2005	Tseko Mpolokeng	South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...	2:16:57
2006	Halefom Tsegaye	Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...	2:16:01
2007	Ketma Amerssissa	Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...	2:15:26

Women's race

Year	Athlete	Country	Time
2005	Jane Kariuki	Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...	2:43:03
2006	Jane Nyambura	Kenya	2:34:57
2007	Merima Danboba	Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...	2:32:54

Wheel chair race

Year	Athlete	Country	Time
2006	Mohammed Azhar	Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...	-
2007	Mohammad Azhar	Pakistan	13:27

Visually impaired race

Year	Athlete	Country	Time
2006	Adnan Mehmood	Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...	-
2007	Mohammad Noor Qureshi	Pakistan	13:13

External links

• LahoreMarathon.com - Official website
• GreenLeft.org.au - 'Lahore marathon a blow for civil liberties
  Civil liberties
  Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
  
  ', Doug Lorimer, Green Left Weekly
  Green Left Weekly
  Green Left Weekly is an Australian radical left-wing newspaper, written by progressive activists to "present the views excluded by the big business media". It was published by the Democratic Socialist Perspective from its inception in 1990 until January 2010, when the DSP merged into the Socialist...
  
  (June 1, 2005)
• LaborPakistan.org - 'Marathon for Civil Liberties', Farooq Sulehria, Pakistan Labor Party