Ubuyelwe ukuzethemba enqoba iPrince Mangosuthu ogileke kwiTwo Oceans
UMPETHA wePrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon ebangeni lika-52km, uOnalenna Khonkhobe (ophakathi) ephahlwe wu-Ayanda Ngcobo noSiboniso Sikhakhane abaphume isibili nesithathu, bona abaphahlwe yiMeya yoMkhandlu wesiFunda uMzinyathi, uThembisile Mchunu noDkt Buthelezi (elingatholakalanga igama) oyisihlobo seNkosi uZuzifa Buthelezi
Image: SIBUSISO MDLALOSE
USHELMITH Muriuki (we-track suit emhlophe) odle ubhedu kwabesifazane kwiPrince Mangosuthu Marathon emukela isipho kwiMeya woMkhandu wesifunda uMzinyathi, uThembisile Mchunu okwesokunxele, eduze kwakhe wuJenet Mbhele olale isibili, uMandla Ngobese uSotswebhu waseMzinyathi, noNeviah Maganzo ophume isithathu Isithombe: SIBUSISO MDLALOSE
Image: SIBUSISO MDLALOSE
UMGIJIMI odle umhlanganiso kwiPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon ebangeni lika-52km, u-Onalenna Khonkhobe, ubengazitsheli ukuthi angawunqoba lo mjaho eqala ukuwugijima okuyingakho ukuwunqoba kwakhe kumjabulise kakhulu kwabuyisa nokuzethemba kuyena.
UKhonkhobe (29) weNedbank Running Club udle umhlanganiso kulo mjaho obusuka eNquthu kwehlikwa kubhekwe eDundee, ngeSonto, ngesikhathi esingu-2:56:40 elandelwa wu-Ayanda Ngcobo we-Xcel Running Club olale isibili ngo-2:56:54, noSiboniso Sikhakhane we-Entsika Athletics Club olale isithathu ngo-2:57:15.
Ngokudla ubhedu uKhonkhobe ukhale wemuka no-R150 000, kwathi uNgcobo waseMsinga ongaphansi kwesifunda uMzinyathi obekugijinyelwa kuwo lo mjaho, wathola umthobanhliziyo ka-R50 000.
UKhonkhobe owenze ezibukwayo nyakenye edla umhlanganiso kwi-Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon yebanga lika-56km neStandard Bank Soweto Marathon yebanga lika-42.2km, ubevele eze kulo mjaho ebalwa nabagijimi abebethwelwe ngeqoma.
Nakuba ebeze kulo mjaho wokuhlonipha uMntwana uMangosuthu Buthelezi, kodwa lo mgijimi odabuka eTaung, eNorth West ubesanda kuphoxeka ehluleka wukuvikela isicoco kwiTwo Oceans lapho ehluleke ngisho ukuwuqeda lo mjaho waseKapa obungo-Ephreli 5.
“Ngijabule ngendlela eyisimanga ngokuwina lo mjaho, ngoba bengingazitsheli ukuthi ngingawunqoba njengoba bengiqala ukuwugijima, yize benginakho ukuzethemba ngenkathi ngizowugijima.
Bengingawazi umzila walo mjaho kodwa ngenkathi sifinyelela ebangeni lika-42km, yilapho engiqale khona ukubona ukuthi hhayi sengingawuwina.
Ngiyabahlonipha abagijimi ebengincintisana nabo, ikakhulukazi uSiboniso (Sikhakhane) ogijime kahle kwiTwo Oceans muva nje ethatha indawo yesibili, kanjalo no-Ayanda (Ngcobo) othathe isibili.
Ukunqoba kwami lo mjaho kubuyise nokuzethemba kimina ngenxa yamaphutha engiwenzile kwiTwo Oceans yanonyaka, ngihluleka nokuyiqeda,” kusho uKhonkhobe.
Njengoba iPrince Mangosuthu ibalwa neminye yemijaho yokuzibekisela indawo kwiComrades Marathon yebanga lika-85.9km ezogijinywa ngoJuni 8 kwehlikwa kusukwa eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini, uKhonkhobe uthe yize esha amashushu ngokuyoyigijima akakabi naso isiqiniseko njengoba esazobonisana nomqeqeshi wakhe ngaphambi kokuthatha isinqumo.
Kwabesifazane odle umhlanganiso nguShelmith Muriuki waseKenya ngesikhathi esingu-3:23:29, isibili kwaba uJenet Mbhele ngesikhathi esingu-3:33:36, isithathu kwaba uNeviah Maganzo waseZimbabwe ngo-3:49:09.
UMuriuki ongaphansi kwe-Entsika Athletics Cub naye okhale wemuka no-R150 000 ubesewunqoba okwesithathu iminyaka ilandelana lo mjaho, kanti uMbhele waseMzimkhulu obengawugijimanga nyakenye uthole umthobanhliziyo ka-R50 000.
UMuriuki uthe: “Kusho lukhulu kimina ukunqoba lo mjaho okwesithathu. Ungomunye wemijaho engiyihloniphayo yalapha eNingizumu, engihlale ngikulangazelele ukuzowugijima.”
Khonamanjalo, insephe yomgijimi wamabanga amade, u-Elroy Gelant, iphule irekhodi laseNingizimu Afrika lika-2:05:36sec emjahweni iHamburg Marathon yebanga lika-42.2km, eGermany, ngeSonto.
UGelant (38) ophume isine kulo mjaho waseGermany, wephule irekhodi lika-2:06:33 elabekwa nguGert Thys ngo-1999 kwiTokyo Marathon, eJapan.