UMabhida ubona izomangaza abaningi iComrades
UTETE Dijana ophethe irekhodi lomjaho iComrades Marathon uma kwehliwa kusukwa eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini, uphakathi kwabagijimi ababhekiwe emjahweni wanonyaka ozoba ngeSonto
Image: TETE DIJANA FACEBOOK
UMQEQESHI wabagijimi nomhlaziyi wezokugijima, uXolani Mabhida, ubona iComrades Marathon yakulo nyaka ingase ibe nezimanga ezingashiya iningi labathandi bezokugijima bekhexe imilomo.
IComrades yanonyaka yebanga lika-89.98km izogijinywa kwehliwa kusukwa eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini, ngeSonto.
Ukukhonya kwabagijimi abangaphansi kweNedbank Running Club eminyakeni emine edlule, okubalwa kubo u-Edward Mothibi, Tete Dijana noPiet Wiersma kwabesilisa noGerda Steyn weHollywood Running Club kwabesifazane, kwenza kubhekwe ngabomvu emjahweni wakulo nyaka ukuthi kuzoqhubeka yini ukukhonya kwalaba bagijimi.
UWiersma waseNertherlands olale isibili ngo-2023 eqala ukugijima lo mjaho, nyakenye udle umhlanganiso kwenyukwa ngesikhathi esingu-5:25:00, kwathi uSteyn wadla umhlanganiso kwabesifazane okwehlandla lesibili iminyaka ilandelana ngo-5:49:46.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, bekukhonye uDijana iminyaka ilandelana ngo-2022 nango-2023. Lo mgijimi odabuka eMahikeng, eNorth West, kumanje nguyena ophethe irekhodi lokwehla lika-5:13:58 aliqophe ngo-2023, ephula elika-5:18:19 elaliqoshwe nguDavid Gatebe ngo-2016.
Ngokunjalo noSteyn osenqobe lo mjaho amahlandla amathathu, uphethe elokwehla lika-5:44:54 aliqophe ngo-2023, ephula elika-5:54:43 elaliqoshwe nguFrith van der Merwe ngo-1989.
“IComrades ngumjaho onzima, okungelula neze ukuwuqagela njengoba uhlezi umangaza ngaso sonke isikhathi.
"Nakulo nyaka ngibona uzomangaza futhi, kuqhamuke abagijimi ebesingabalindele, badle umhlanganiso.
"Nokho, ngibona abagijimi beNedbank Running Club, Arthur Ford AC nabeMaxed Elite bezokwenza kahle nasemjahweni wakulo nyaka.
"Yize abeNedbank kuyibona abathwelwe ngeqoma ngabaningi, kodwa kowakulo nyaka kubukeka bezothola inselelo enzima,” kusho uMabhida.
“Ukuchanasa komgijmi oyedwa iminyaka ilandelana kuvamile ukudala ilukuluku bese kumfakela ingcindezi, njengoba sibonile kuTete Dijana kule minyaka emithathu edlule ngo-2022 no-2023, enza kahle.
"Kodwa ngonyaka odlule, izinto azangamhambela kahle, wehluleka ngisho ukungena kwi-Top 10, kodwa futhi kulo nyaka itshe lingaphinda ligaye ngomunye umhlathi sibone abanye ebesingabalindele,” kuqhuba uMabhida, obona uBongumusa Mthembu engase amangaze.
“Ngokwami umgijimi onjengoBongumusa, phezu kweminyaka yakhe yobudala, ngimbona engase amangaze ngenxa yesipiliyoni sakhe asenaso ngalo mjaho.
"Umgijimi onjengaye angase athatheke kancane kodwa uma engase athole lelo thuba elincane lokukhululeka angenza ezibukwayo ngenxa yokuthi usewuqonda kangcono lo mjaho nomzila wawo, namaqhinga okunqoba umjaho walolu hlobo.”
UMthembu (41) useyinqobe amahlandla amabili iComrades; ngo-2017 nango-2018, ngo-2019 walala isibili kuMothibi.
Ngo-2022 ulale isine, wahlehla ngo-2023 ephuma endaweni ka-16, njengoba ebuye nyakenye walala isithupha.
Kwabesifazane, uMabhida ubona uSteyn ezothola inselelo ku-Irvette van Zyl, uNobukhosi Tshuma waseZimbabwe noJenet Mbhele wakuleli.
“UGerda noma eseyazi kangcono kakhulu iComrades kodwa angase ayithole inselelo kulo nyaka ku-Irvette, uNobukhosi noJenet. Kodwa u-Irvette noNobukhosi yibona engibabona bezomthwalisa kanzima kakhulu emjahweni wakulo nyaka.”
UVan Zyl nakuba engayiqedanga iTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon ngo-Ephreli, kodwa ubuye ngamandla edla umhlanganiso kwiMpileng Tshwane North Ultra 50km, walandela ngeLoskop 50km Ultra Marathon yomithathu ngo-Ephreli, wabe esevala ngeWally Hayward Marathon yebanga lika-42 ayinqoba ngoMeyi 1.