Shaheer Ahmed
Dr. Salman Khan, Hamid Butt, and Aisha Qamar have made history by being the first Pakistani-born American citizens to finish all six major marathons that are part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. This competition is a championship-style event for long-distance runners that began in 2006.
Dr. Salman Khan, while participating first in Boston Marathon decided to commit himself to winning the six-star medal.
While speaking in an interview, the Pakistani-born medallist said the medal means a lot for him and for his country, further highlighting that he would also “like to participate in the Paris Olympian marathon championship in 2024 if possible.”
Pakistan has it’s first Six Star finisher! 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/ipNU5CYjga
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) March 5, 2023
The winner also mentioned that he would want to participate in the Boston Marathon event on an annual basis since it gives him the opportunity to interact with participants from all around the world. He continued by saying that each of the five races has something unique to contribute to the table.
The ultramarathon runner Salman gave another piece of advice to anyone who is thinking about taking part in the event, and that was to make sure they like running. He went on to say that people need to be persistent and devoted if they want the medal to be awarded in their honor.
The runner who was born in Pakistan expressed his desire to serve as an example to his fellow citizens of Pakistan while delivering a message to his compatriots. He went on to say that “nothing is impossible,” which was another of his statements.
"It means a lot to me and my country as I would be the first Pakistani to achieve this milestone."
Salman Khan will become the world’s first Pakistani Six Star Finisher when he crosses the line in Tokyo.
Read the story of his Six Star journey.👇🏻
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) March 4, 2023
There were a total of 11 Pakistani or Pakistani-born nationals of the United States and the United Kingdom that took part in the marathon championship that was held on March 5. Five of these runners were female. Dr. Salman Khan did make Pakistan proud by winning this race.
Other Pakistanis who competed in the Tokyo Olympics, in addition to the medalist, included Hamid Butt, Rabia Naeem, Ayesha Qamar, Fahad Mukhtar, Prem Kumar, Huma Rehman, Fawad Kareem, Ayesha Akhtar, Hasan Tajdar, and Sarah Lodhi. Fahad Mukhtar was the only Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the games.
