ATHLETICS: REFUSE TO GIVE UP – Journal

Shahrez Khan, the triathlete, in action | Photos Sportographe

For two weeks, Shahrez Khan’s world shrank to the size of a prison cell.

The elite triathlete who measures life in miles suddenly had nowhere to go. An athlete whose days began before dawn—running laps, running endless miles, or hitting the roads in another race—was confined within four walls, deprived of the routine that had become second nature.

“I always considered myself a positive person,” he told me months later. “Being in a confined environment…besides having faith or mental resilience, what else do you have? I just kept believing that things would get better.”

His arrest in August 2025 thrust him into the national spotlight for the first time.

Until then, Shahrez had lived largely out of the public eye. Despite belonging to one of Pakistan’s best-known political families – he is the son of Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan – he had deliberately kept a low profile, focusing instead on his textile export business, his family and a sporting obsession that few outside endurance circles knew about.

Shahrez Khan is one of the brightest stars in Pakistan’s triathlon landscape. He qualified for the prestigious Ironman 70.3 World Championship as well as the Pakistan Asian Games team. However, the real test of his endurance may well come off the field…

He was arrested in connection with cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots. His family says he was targeted because of his relationship with the former prime minister, while authorities say the cases are part of ongoing legal proceedings following the unrest. Shahrez spent two weeks in detention before being released. The experience, he says, tested him mentally but never changed his outlook on life.

And, at 44, Khan laughs at the idea that his best years are behind him.

“Age is just a number,” he says. “You’d be amazed at what our minds and bodies are capable of. The mind plays an important role. As long as you’re willing to push yourself, you’ll be amazed at what your body can deliver. I think I’m in my prime right now and I want to make the most of it.”

This optimism would soon be tested again.

DESIGNED FOR DISTANCE

Long before he became known for politics he had nothing to do with, Shahrez Khan was quietly becoming one of Pakistan’s best endurance athletes.

The irony is that he never considered becoming one.

At school he discovered something about himself. He wasn’t the fastest sprinter, but he was one of the best distance runners. Cross country became his first love. Swimming followed, which eventually got him selected for the Punjab team. Years later, while studying at Oxford, he continued to run and joined the Said Business School cross-country team – not to compete, but because he found running liberating and enjoyed pushing himself.

“I realized I liked challenging myself more than competing,” he says with a laugh. “There is a famous saying in Ironman: “Suffering is a privilege”. Endurance sports are all about mental resilience. There is suffering. Sometimes there is negativity that arises. You really have to go there. »

That quiet competitiveness stayed with him into his 20s and 30s, when in 2019 a friend persuaded him to sign up for a half marathon in Islamabad and he was hooked.

Then came an even bigger challenge.

THREE MONTHS TO BECOME AN IRONMAN

Among triathletes, the Ironman 70.3 World Championship is the pinnacle of mid-distance triathlons. Athletes qualify by earning coveted spots in Ironman 70.3 races around the world, making it an invitation-only event for the sport’s top age groups and professional competitors.

In 2022, his friends invited him to participate in an Ironman 70.3 in Luxembourg, Shahrez laughed. “I could run and I could swim,” he said. “But I had never really ridden a bike.”

The race was only three months away. Most triathletes spend years preparing for their first event. Shahrez was 90 days old. He managed to finish in a respectable time.

“I went there just to finish,” he says of his first Ironman 70.3 in Luxembourg. “It was an overwhelming experience. I felt extremely grateful to have completed it in a decent time. It sparked an obsession and passion.”

It wasn’t just about crossing the finish line. It was about discovering the satisfaction of becoming a little stronger every day. These races have become a way of life.

“Something that started as a challenge became a passion,” adds Shahrez. “I wanted to be the best in Pakistan, raise my level and be as good as the elite age group athletes in the world. I finished in the top 10 in my age group twice, in the Ironman 70.3 races held in South Africa. [November 2024] and the Philippines [March 2025].”

Luxembourg is ahead of New Zealand, Turkey, South Africa, Oman and the Philippines. Training has become a daily ritual.

He wakes up at 5:30 a.m. every day so he can finish before his family gets up and in time to start his work day. “The smog in Lahore, the heat in Karachi or the freezing winter mornings simply became part of the process,” says Shahrez. “Because of the smog in Lahore, I cannot train outside for six months a year. I have to train indoors, which is more difficult but ultimately builds more resilience.

“There are days when you don’t want to get out of bed,” Shahrez shares. “There are days when it’s smog outside or it’s too hot. It’s a mental resilience that you have to develop over time. Progress is slow. You have to keep going, train smarter and be patient. It took me years of training and a lifestyle to build a strong athletic foundation, which helped me catch up with athletes who have been doing this much longer.”

THE HOLY GRAIL

Ironman 70.3 refers to the total distance of a race in miles, including a 1.2 mile swim, a 55 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile half marathon. Only a tiny fraction of athletes earn a coveted qualifying spot at races around the world.

Shahrez secured his title in the Philippines after finishing seventh in his age group, becoming the second Pakistani to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship held in November last year.

“It was the Holy Grail,” he laughs. But he was never able to participate in the World Championship.

Shortly before the event, he was preparing to travel to Estonia in August 2025 for another Ironman 70.3 event. It was then that he discovered he had been placed on Pakistan’s exit control list, preventing him from leaving the country.

According to him, no explanation was ever given. “It also affected my work,” he says. “I contribute to Pakistan’s textile exports and bring business to the country. I am not political. I am a professional.”

But unfortunately, instead of lining up with the world’s best triathletes in Spain, he was only able to watch from home.

STILL IN PROGRESS

For many athletes, missing the biggest race of their career could have broken their morale. Instead, Shahrez simply found another finish line.

Trials for the Pakistani triathlon team opened ahead of the Asian Games, due to be held in September 2027. He entered and, unsurprisingly, emerged as the top qualifier.

Representing Pakistan, he said, would mean much more than competing as an individual Ironman athlete. “I would love to wear the green blazer,” he says. Yet the same travel restrictions continue to sow doubt over whether he will be allowed to compete. If he can’t travel, he says, he will gladly give up his seat so another athlete can represent Pakistan.

This is perhaps the only moment in our conversation where frustration briefly creeps into his voice. “These are my early years,” he said. “I have always been a positive person. I will not stop training. I will not give up. If I miss the World Championship this year, I will qualify next year. If I miss the Asian Games this year, I will only focus on qualifying for the full Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii, InshAllah.”

Endurance athletes understand something few others do: the hardest races aren’t always the ones measured in miles. Sometimes they are measured by patience.

The writer is a journalist, award-winning documentarian and radio correspondent. Instagram: @madeeha.syed

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 19, 2026

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos