Make some time to move every day and play sports when you can. Whatever your age, and however busy you are, everyone can make an effort to move more. This will be good for your physical and your mental health” — Farman Mubarak, Mawlana Hazar Imam, Nairobi, August 2025, quoted in The Ismaili
An update (October 12, 2025): This morning, Sunday, October 12, 2025, Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, celebrated his 54th birthday and the first Salgirah as the 50th Imam in a unique way by running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. His participation in this global event, alongside more than 53,000 runners from the USA and over 100 countries worldwide, shows his commitment to health and fitness and is a source of inspiration, motivating us all to strive for our best.
Videos circulating on social media show Ismailis who had lined up to watch the runners, calling out “Happy Birthday Mawla Bapa.” In a heartwarming moment, Mawlana Hazar Imam briefly turned back, shook hands with the well-wishers, and said, “Thank you, thank you,” before resuming his stride. The Ismaili, the official website of the Ismaili community, has featured Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Chicago Marathon run as its lead story and said that he was delighted to see members of the Jamat participating in the marathon and asked that his warm congratulations be conveyed to them, emphasizing his deep appreciation for the support he received from Jamati members in the crowd.
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His predecessors were supporters of sports and also played them (see our original post, below), so it is not surprising that Mawlana Shah Rahim also takes a keen interest in sports — and is encouraging his Jamat to play them. In his recent Farman made during his Didar in Nairobi, Hazar Imam personally urged the Jamat to stay active and engage in physical activity. He said:
“Make some time to move every day and play sports when you can. Whatever your age, and however busy you are, everyone can make an effort to move more. This will be good for your physical and your mental health”
The Ismaili, in its lead story, has captured beautiful photographs at different points during his run. Please click Mawlana Hazar Imam celebrates his birthday by completing the Chicago Marathon. For a summary of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Chicago marathon run, click HERE.
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ORIGINAL POST (SEPTEMBER 17, 2025)
In a brief clip that has been widely shared on social media over the past 24 hours, Diwan Shafik Sachedina, a key Ismaili institutional leader for the past 30 years, addresses a group of people. He states: “He [Mawlana Hazar Imam, Shah Rahim Al Hussaini, His Highness the Aga Khan], is not just walking; he is not just running — he is running marathons now. So you can imagine, he has got very (inaudible as clapping continues)…. He is going to run a marathon for the education of the Jamat…. So be completely at (inaudible)…we have an Imam who is going to take us to a different level of education….”
One who may not be familiar with Mawlana Hazar Imam’s interest in sports might think that Diwan Shafik was speaking figuratively and using the metaphor of a marathon to describe Mawlana Hazar Imam’s vision for the Jamat’s future. As most of us are aware, his father, Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, rowed when he was a student in Switzerland, played ice hockey, represented the Harvard soccer team, was an Olympic skier, and also bred and raced horses during his lifetime and won a record number of Derbies. Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah was also a sportsman — he boxed and played golf as well as won Derbies. Both the 48th and 49th Imams sponsored many sporting events and prizes during their lifetime.
Well, literally, Mawlana Shah Rahim is running marathons. He participated in the 2024 Berlin Marathon, one of the top marathons in the world. The other six World Marathon Majors in 2024 were in Tokyo, Boston, London, Chicago, New York City and Sydney.
Story continues below
Mawlana Hazar Imam’s time was slow, as mentioned in the summary in this link (enter Aga Khan in the search query box for summary). An image of the certificate that was issued is published above. The certificate can be downloaded from the source in PDF format HERE. The certificate also summarizes his performance.
Interestingly, the website Haymakers of Hope mentions Mawlana Hazar Imam’s involvement in the 2024 Berlin Marathon. It seems that he may also participate in several SuperHalf Marathons in 2025.
By referencing Mawlana Hazar Imam in this way, Sachedina used the marathon metaphor to prompt us to reflect on the Imam’s vision for his Jamat. Indeed, Mawlana Hazar Imam, as shown in his Farmans (guidance), has encouraged his spiritual children, the Ismailis, to excel in all aspects of their lives, including sports, while also remembering Allah and giving thanks to Him regularly. By following his detailed guidance, we will participate in a long and enduring marathon that will uplift our personal lives and benefit all his spiritual children worldwide.
Date posted: September 17, 2025.
Last updated: October 12, 2025 (Aga Khan participates in the 2025 Chicago Marathon).
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