About
Margalla Marathon
Margalla Marathon is Pakistan’s most challenging hill road marathon, designed to test the ultimate uphill endurance of runners on the spectacular roads of the Margalla Hills. The event features two race categories: the Full Marathon (42.2 km, 1,300m elevation gain) and the Half Marathon (21.1 km, 800m elevation gain). Starting from the iconic Chand Tara Monument on Garden Avenue in the heart of Islamabad and finishing at Pir Sohawa on the border of the Islamabad Capital Territory and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the course offers runners a breathtaking yet relentless climb to the finish.
The journey began in March 2021 with a 10K Hill Road Race, the first official event organized by Margalla Trail Runners (MTR). This inaugural race was dedicated to the memory of legendary mountaineers Ali Sadpara, John Snorri, and Juan Pablo Mohr, who lost their lives during a winter expedition on K2.
Building on its success, MTR launched the Margalla Half Marathon in March 2022, completing four successful editions by 2025. On 5 April 2026, MTR made history by introducing the Full Marathon, creating Pakistan’s first-ever road marathon with more than 1,000 metres of elevation gain. Today, the Margalla Marathon stands as one of the country’s most iconic endurance events and ranks among the world’s toughest uphill road marathons.
2024 Event Gallery
Margalla Trail Runners (MTR) is bringing yet another exciting and unique project. MTR is presenting a friendly running competition, Inter-Club Margalla Hill Half Marathon Challenge Run. The challenge run is in a spirit of fun, as well as being quite competitive. The aim is to do this to promote running culture so it does not need to have any limiting factors. The Inter-Club Run is being organized, hosted, and led by Margalla Trail Runners. All are invited to take part in the event. We do, after all, share a love for the same sport!
2026-2027 annual
Events Schedule
Margalla Trail Runners (MTR) is a leading trail running organization in Pakistan dedicated to promoting trail running, endurance sports, and outdoor adventure through world-class events. MTR organizes a series of annual endurance events across Pakistan, including:
- Margalla Trail Running Festival – Held every February on the scenic Trail 4 and Dhok Jewan trails of the Margalla Hills, Islamabad. The festival features trail races ranging from 300 meters to the marathon distance & includes ITRA & UTMB Index certified races.
- Margalla Marathon – Conducted annually on the first Sunday of April, bringing together runners of all abilities for one of Pakistan’s premier road marathon events.
- Margalla Triathlon – Held on the third Sunday of April, offering athletes the opportunity to compete in a multi-sport endurance challenge.
- Galiyat Mountain Trail (GMT) – Organized during the third weekend of July on the spectacular trails of Galiyat, Pakistan. The event features 100 km, 70 km, 50 km, 30 km, and 20 km trail races, all recognized with ITRA and UTMB Index certification.
- Margalla Backyard Ultra (MBU) – Held annually on the first Saturday of December at Fatima Jinnah Park (F-9 Park), Islamabad. As Pakistan’s first-ever Backyard Ultra, MBU is officially affiliated with the international Backyard Ultra organization and follows the globally recognized “Last One Standing” race format.
Through these events, Margalla Trail Runners continues to develop Pakistan’s trail and endurance running community, providing professionally organized races that meet international standards while showcasing the country’s natural landscapes and fostering a culture of fitness, resilience, and adventure.