Greenwich Park, London. The historic green space is home to a stunning vista of the city’s skyline, the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian – the line that separates (or joins) the Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world. So where better to start the London Marathon than here at the intersection of the human race?
The Blackheath location has paid host to the London Marathon for the last 43 years and this year it’s set to take place on Sunday 27 April 2025. Its inception in 1981 was one rooted in unifying the human race and the city. After completing the New York Marathon, Olympic steeplechase medalists, Chris Brasher and John Disley felt that a London Marathon would ‘showcase the best of the capital’, whilst allowing people to ‘have fun, and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world.’
“To believe this story, you must believe that the human race can be one joyous family, working together, laughing together, achieving the impossible…I wonder whether London could stage such a festival? We have the course, a magnificent course….but do we have the heart and hospitality to welcome the world?”
The last four decades have certainly proven so. In 2024 alone, over 50,000 people completed the race with winners hailing from Kenya, Ethiopia, Switzerland, the UK and United States. London has become a home for diversity and unification and the race has shown that these notions can only propel a population forward. Those with disabilities can also participate with the use of wheelchairs at regular or Elite levels whilst the Mini London Marathon allows children and young people to take part and receive a medal; all fantastic ways to foster inclusivity at all levels.
Honouring diversity runs deep in the Muslimah Sports Association and our front runners for the race believe so too.
Kynaat believes there’s blessing in movement and wants other women to feel the joy that can come from sport. Donate
Lila Baig is running to set herself a new challenge and encourage empowerment for Muslim women through sport. Donate
Lucinda De Barros Raposo is running to refresh and wants to challenge herself in every way. Donate
Nadia Kalam is a first time marathon runner looking to encourage women to discover their strength. Donate
Tasnia Choudhury is running to be role model for younger Muslim girls. Donate
Zakiyyah has unfinished business and is running a second time.
The one thing that unites our runners is the desire for progression and visibility for diverse women. Whilst each is distinct in their approach, they share an understanding that they are now a part of something much bigger. For them, having Muslim women visible is a crucial aspect of social cohesion and the development of the sporting world.
Disability Advisor, Nadia is new to the marathon scene and has, over the last year, discovered the extent of Muslim and Asian runners in the UK. After contacting MSA and joining Muslim Runners, she has learned that Muslims are very much a part of the scene.
“My eyes have opened to the amount of Asian people running, which is amazing. People have been doing it, it’s quite big and it’s become more apparent.
“What motivates me is when I see the women. There’s Zoe Lee who wears the [abaya] running and other women who I’ve seen do it. When you look at them, visibly, that is a Muslim runner.”
She has also taken to the digital world for inspiration and motivation listening to the likes of Jenny Faulkner and podcasts by Chris Evans and Romesh Ranganathan but feels further representation is needed, especially with Ramadan.
“There are a lot of podcasts out there but it would be great to see more mainstream visibility for those that explore niche topics like sport and Islam or women’s reproductive health when running. It would bring to light issues or guidance some people may not even be aware of.”
For Nadia, cultural and female representation in marathon media is top of her list and knows more work is needed not just for her but for the generations to come.
“As much as we are Muslim, we are all so different [so having this] will make it more relatable.”
Nadia makes an excellent point. Diversity within Muslims extends beyond culture to the likes of gender, age and disabilities which should all be acknowledged.
Neurodiversity is a branch of this and Nasima, a long time MSA member and Masters student in Speech and Language Therapy is conducting research into this. Her thesis focuses on South Asian women with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and their journey of diagnosis in England. This topic is currently under-researched and therefore aims to make an important contribution to understanding mental health in contemporary Britain.
“The qualitative interviews will allow me to recognize the barriers to diagnosis faced by the participants and whether they feel their experience could have been better. This data will be a starting point in understanding what is needed in the South Asian community to provide a client-centred approach. [It is] also an opportunity to raise awareness of this community’s needs and to encourage further research which could contribute to a wider policy change in managing the diagnosis process.”
As someone who is medically diagnosed as neurodivergent, Nasima has first-hand knowledge of the impact this can have on participation in sport.
“My needs are different, so whilst I have the physical ability to function, it takes a lot of effort to get into the right state to run with people. I can have social anxiety and then putting me with people I don’t know; it takes me a long time to connect.”
But sport is something she has never wanted to shy away from with a desire to join the London Marathon stemming from a family tradition.
“I used to live in East London where the route passes through and when I was little we would go and watch the runners and give oranges and wet sponges. Back then there was racism towards the Bengali community and likely my granddad and dad would’ve been abused. Despite that, my dad would push us to stay integrated into the community and this was one way of doing it.
“One day, I must’ve been about 7 or 6, I said I’m going to run here. I’m going to be on the other side of this and that was it! I remember being so happy and proud thinking I’m going to be like these people and my dad is going to cheer me on.”
This childhood dream has stayed with her and she is now set for the Berlin Marathon this year before embarking on the London Marathon 2026.
It seems that evolution is key here and in order to do so, these women have not only acknowledged who they really are but how best they can fit into the world around them. They represent individual efforts which are making up an army of change across the sporting world. But evolution cannot be done alone. It needs the accompaniment of family and friends, access to information and an open attitude to succeed.
Zakiyyah is an example of this success. As a teacher who moved to London in 2022, she offers an insight into the future of Muslim women in sport. Her participation is extensive particularly in badminton and squash and she is now gearing up for her second attempt ot the London Marathon.
“I feel like I’ve got unfinished business with that course. I want to try it again and hopefully not get injured again.
“I was on pace for the first half but – classic error – it was raining that day and because I didn’t warm up properly I was really cold. I felt my hip had flared up so was in a lot of pain for the second half of the race and ended up walking the last half, finishing close to 6.5 hours.”
It is clear that Zakiyyah is confident in her ability and her transition into the running world has been seamless. Sport has become an integral part of her life for some time now and therefore accepted by her family.
“I think they were really impressed and liked the idea of it as it’s a big event on the TV and I think they’re proud. My niece got me a little trophy and tried to engrave it, which I treasure just as much as my London Marathon medal.
“It’s nice to see my nephews and nieces see me do that sport. I’ve also invited them to the MSA Dragon Boat race as I’d like them to see Muslim women engaging in sport because growing up it wasn’t at the forefront of priorities in the household. But my family are quite happy with it.”
As to the future, her eyes are set on the next milestone – a triathlon.
There is no doubt that these women show a grit and determination to succeed which is nothing short of admirable. They represent Muslim women in all their beauty and nuances whilst finding commonality in being the change they want to see in the world. They are the future of sport and a new level of empowerment and autonomy for women.
The city of London has proven to be the place where diversity and unity find harmony and the London Marathon is an emblem of this. It has brought together people from the East and West and merged them to form one unique message: we are one human race united by a desire for identity acceptance, love and the fight to reach the finish line.
BDL Contractors will be sponsoring MSA for the London Marathon. They are a family-run business with more than 30 years of experience in the locksmith and carpentry industry. Open 24-hours a day, seven days a week offering services such as fitting digital locks, opening locks, repairing damage caused during a burglary, replacing lost keys, opening doors, opening and repairing safes and more.
Modanisa will also be sponsoring our runners, providing them with long sleeve tops to wear during the race.
We are deeply grateful for the support our sponsors have provided us. MSA are proud to partner with organisations which honour diversity, community and the protection and empowerment of women.
