Pakistan Army's athlete Muhammad Abid won 17-kilometer Punjab Festival marathon race covering the distance in 58 minutes and 16 seconds here on Sunday. The second and third positions were also secured by Army athletes - Muhammad Nawaz and Arshad.
The 17-kilometer Punjab Marathon race was started from Qadhafi Stadium and finished at the same point by passing through Gulberg and Dharmpura. More than 6000 athletes from different countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Somalia took part in the race.
There were two types of race in this marathon, first was family fun race and second was Punjab Marathon race. Family fun race distance was 3.5 kilo meters, which started from Siddique Trade Centre, Gulberg. Hundreds of families participated in the family fun race.
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, while talking to the participants at the start of family fun race, has said that Punjab Sports Festival has infused new spirit of enthusiasm among the players. The talented players will be encouraged through the competitions of various sports and players of national and international level will be produced from Punjab.
He said if opportunities and quality training provided to Pakistani players they can win laurels for the motherland at international level by achieving success in every sport. He said that the participation of male and female players in family fun race in such a large number reflects that there is great enthusiasm among the citizens due to sports festival
Participants of the family fun fare race while expressing their pleasant surprise by seeing Punjab Chief in a green track suit at the start of family fun race paid rich tributes to him on holding Punjab Sports Festival.