# Athletics in Pakistan

Athletics in Pakistan is overseen by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) which organizes athletic tournaments in Pakistan. Athletics in Pakistan encompasses a diverse range of competitive sporting events, including running, jumping, throwing, and walking disciplines. The country's athletics landscape is dominated by four primary categories: track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking.

## History

Many Pakistani athletes have excelled in various global events including the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships.
The 1950s and 1960s are often regarded as the Golden Age of Pakistani athletics, with Abdul Khaliq, Ghulam Raziq, Mubarak Shah, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Nawaz, Jalal Khan, Allah Ditta and Muhammad Ramzan Ali achieving various milestones. In the early decades, Pakistanis held many Asian records including the Asian 100 m and 200 m record held by Abdul Khaliq.
Other notable athletes include Muhammad Younis, Muhammad Siddique, Mirza Khan, Ghulam Abbas, Nadir Khan, Aqarab Abbas, Muhammad Sharif Butt, Khwaja Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Sadaqat, Muhammad Fayyaz, Abdul Aziz, Abdul Malik, Mohsin Ali, Mehboob Ali, Banarus Muhammad Khan, Abdul Rashid, Zafar Iqbal, Nusrat Iqbal Sahi, Norman Brinkworth, Muhammad Youssef, Allah Ditta, Muhammad Ayub and Liaquat Ali who got prominence at either Asian or International levels, winning gold medals for Pakistan. Female athletes have also represented Pakistan at the international level, including Shabana Akhtar, who was the first Pakistani female athlete to participate at the Olympics. Among Pakistan's notable women athletes are Naseem Hameed, Najma Parveen, Sadaf Siddiqui, Rabia Ashiq, Shazia Hidayat, Faiqa Riaz and Sumaira Zahoor.
Pakistan has hosted several major international athletics events including the 1989, 2004 South Asian Games and is scheduled to host the 2026 South Asian Games. International events such as the Lahore Marathon also take place in the country. Pakistan also hosted the SAAF Cross Country Championships 2025 on 23rd February 2025 at Fatima Jinnah Park, Islamabad.
In recent times, Arshad Nadeem is the reigning Olympic champion in Men's javelin throw with an Asian and Olympic record throw of 92.97 metres (305.0 ft) at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He became the first Pakistani to qualify for the finals of any track and field event at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships.
In 2023, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, a silver. In 2022, he also created a Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 m and became the first ever athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark.

## National Championship

National Athletics Championships is held annually by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan.

## Major international medallists

| Competition | Athlete | Event | Year |
| Olympic Games | Arshad Nadeem | Javelin throw | 2024 |
| Paralympic Games | Haider Ali | Discus Throw - F37 | 2024 |
| Paralympic Games | Haider Ali | Discus Throw - F37 | 2020 |
| Paralympic Games | Haider Ali | Long Jump - T37 | 2016 |
| Paralympic Games | Haider Ali | Long Jump - F37/38 | 2008 |
| World Championships | Arshad Nadeem | Javelin throw | 2023 |
| Commonwealth Games |
| Commonwealth Games | Arshad Nadeem | Javelin throw | 2022 |
| Commonwealth Games | Muhammad Nawaz | Javelin throw | 1966 |
| Commonwealth Games | Muhammad Iqbal | Hammer throw | 1966 |
| Commonwealth Games | Ghulam Raziq | 120 yards hurdles | 1966 |
| Commonwealth Games | Ghulam Raziq | 120 yards hurdles | 1962 |
| Commonwealth Games | Jalal Khan | Javelin throw | 1958 |
| Commonwealth Games | Muhammad Iqbal | Hammer throw | 1958 |
| Commonwealth Games | Muhammad Ramzan Ali | Long jump | 1958 |
| Commonwealth Games | Ghulam Raziq | 120 yards hurdles | 1958 |
| Commonwealth Games | Muhammad Iqbal | Hammer throw | 1954 |
| Commonwealth Games | Muhammad Nawaz | Javelin throw | 1954 |
| Commonwealth Games | Jalal Khan | Javelin throw | 1954 |

## Notable performance at Summer Olympics

| Athlete(s) | Event | Games | Result |
| Arshad Nadeem | Men's Javelin Throw | 2024 Paris | 1st place (92.97m) OR |
| Arshad Nadeem | Men's Javelin Throw | 2020 Tokyo | Final (5th place - 84.62m) |
| Bashir Ahmed, Mohammad Sadaqat, Mohammad Afzal, Muhammad Fayyaz | Men's 4 × 400 metres relay | 1988 Seoul | Semi-Final |
| Muhammad Iqbal | Men's hammer throw | 1960 Rome | 12th place in Final (61.79m) |
| Abdul Malik, Muhammad Ramzan Ali, Ghulam Raziq, Abdul Khaliq | Men's 4 x 100 metres relay | 1960 Rome | Semi-Final |
| Ghulam Raziq | Men's 110 metres hurdles | 1960 Rome | 4th in Semi-Final heat |
| Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Sharif Butt, Abdul Khaliq, Ghulam Raziq | Men's 4 x 100 metres relay | 1956 Melbourne | Semi-Final |
| Ghulam Raziq | Men's 110 metres hurdles | 1956 Melbourne | Semi-Final |
| Abdul Khaliq | Men's 200 metres | 1956 Melbourne | 4th in Semi-Final heat – Stands in top seven athletes |
| Abdul Khaliq | Men's 100 metres | 1956 Melbourne | 4th in Semi-Final heat |
| Muhammad Iqbal | Men's hammer throw | 1956 Melbourne | 11th place in Final (56.97m) |
| Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Shariff Butt, Muhammad Fazil | Men's 4 x 100 metres relay | 1952 Helsinki | Semi-Final |

## Total medals won by Pakistani athletes in major tournaments

| Competition | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Olympics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Paralympics | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| World Championships | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Commonwealth Games | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Asian Games | 14 | 13 | 13 | 40 |
| Asian Championships | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Asian Indoor Championships | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Asian Cross Country Championships | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 21 | 23 | 26 | 70 |