54th National Athletics Championship 2026 Results in Karachi: Maria Bibi Breaks Pakistan's 5,000m Record, WAPDA Win 27 Golds

WAPDA won the 54th National Athletics Championship in Karachi with 27 gold medals, and WAPDA's Maria Bibi broke Pakistan's women's 5,000m record on the final day, Sunday 25 October 2026. She ran 19 minutes 2.00 seconds, beating Rabia Ashiq's mark of 19:04.05 that had stood since 2012.

The championship was held on the NED University tartan track. Below are the medal table, every final-day winner with times and distances, and the athletes who won the most golds. The results are as reported from the Athletics Federation of Pakistan's figures in a published report we read on 27 October 2026, because we could not open a federation results page ourselves.

Maria Bibi broke a 14 year old 5,000m record

Maria Bibi of WAPDA won the women's 5,000m in 19:02.00, which takes 2.05 seconds off Rabia Ashiq's national record of 19:04.05 from 2012. Nazia Ehsan made it a WAPDA one-two in 19:49.50, and Gonash Batool of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) took bronze in 20:10.80.

Records in distance running are rare in Pakistan, so this one stands out. The previous mark had lasted 14 years, by our count from 2012 to 2026.

WAPDA topped the medal table with 27 golds

WAPDA, the Water and Power Development Authority's sports team, finished first overall with 27 gold medals: 17 in the men's events and 10 in the women's. Navy were second in the men's table and HEC second in the women's.

The women's table is decided on points, not golds. Navy won four women's golds, more than Sindh's one, but finished fourth on 73 points to Sindh's 86. That is because points reward depth across many events, and Sindh had more finalists.

Shajar Abbas won the 100m, 200m and mixed relay

Shajar Abbas of WAPDA completed a hat-trick of golds by winning the men's 200m in 20.75 seconds, after the 100m and the 4x100m mixed relay. Ataullah of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was second again, in 20.90, and Haseeb Ahmed of HEC third in 21.40.

Navy's Amtul Rehman won four golds, the most of any athlete reported. Faiqa Riaz of WAPDA matched Shajar with three: the women's 100m and both women's 4x100m relays. Khoula Omer Khan won the women's 200m for HEC in 24.80.

Every final-day winner, with times and distances

These are the final-day results as reported. Times are in minutes and seconds or seconds, and distances in metres.

Two finishes needed a ruling. In the men's 4x400m, Navy and Punjab both clocked 3:20.50, so they shared silver and no bronze was given. In the high jump, both WAPDA athletes cleared 1.93m, and the jury split silver and bronze on what the report calls a specific angle difference.

The championship was held in Karachi from 22 to 25 October

The Pakistan Sports Board's (PSB) athletics calendar for 2026-27 lists the 54th National Athletics Championships for 22 to 25 October 2026 in Karachi. The 55th edition is planned for April 2027 in Lahore, with the 7th National Youth and Junior Championships the same month, venue to be decided.

Our Pakistan athletics calendar for 2026-27 lists every national and Asian event on the PSB plan. Athletes who compete at national level should also check any medicine against the prohibited list before a meet, because a cold remedy can break the rules.

1. Check the PSB calendar for the 55th Nationals in Lahore, planned for April 2027.
2. Look for the Athletics Federation of Pakistan's entry notice through your department or province.
3. Check every medicine on the World Anti-Doping Agency list before you compete.

Common questions

Who won the 54th National Athletics Championship?

WAPDA, with 27 gold medals, 17 in the men's events and 10 in the women's.

What is the new women's 5,000m national record in Pakistan?

19:02.00, run by Maria Bibi of WAPDA in Karachi on 25 October 2026. The old record was 19:04.05 by Rabia Ashiq in 2012.

Who won the men's 200m at the National Athletics Championship?

Shajar Abbas of WAPDA, in 20.75 seconds. He also won the 100m and the 4x100m mixed relay.

Where was the 54th National Athletics Championship held?

At the NED University tartan track in Karachi. The PSB calendar lists the dates as 22 to 25 October 2026.

When is the next National Athletics Championship?

The 55th edition is planned for April 2027 in Lahore, on the PSB calendar. No exact dates were listed.

Who won the most gold medals as an individual?

Amtul Rehman of Navy, with four, as reported. Shajar Abbas and Faiqa Riaz won three each.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read a published report of the final day on 27 October 2026, which cites the Athletics Federation of Pakistan for the 5,000m record. We downloaded and read the PSB's athletics calendar (sports.gov.pk, Athletics 2026-27) the same day for the Karachi and Lahore editions. We could not open a results page from the Athletics Federation of Pakistan, so every time, distance and medal count above is reported. The 2.05 second margin, the 14 years and the 27 gold total are our own sums. The WADA prohibited list is the official source for the medicine check.