Kwehle amaphaphu kumpetha weSoweto Marathon kuphela umdonsiswano

UMPETHA wanyakenye we-African Bank Soweto Marathon, u-Onalenna Khonkhobe, uthi kwehle amaphaphu kuyena njengoba ebenokukhathazeka ngomdonsiswano obuqhubeka ngokuhlelwa kwalo mjaho obesekunezinsolo zokuthi ungase uhoxiswe.

Emasontweni adlule kuqubuke umdonsiswano ngokuhlelwa kweSoweto Marathon obuphakathi kweSoweto Marathon Trust neNon-Profit Company (NPC) kubangwa ilungelo lokuhlela lomjaho.

I-Soweto Marathon Trust ibishaya phansi ngonyawo ithi umjaho wakulo nyaka ungamane ungabi khona uma inganikwa ithuba lokuwuhlela, yaze yasonga ngokuya inkantolo.

Nokho, ngoLwesine i-NPC ikhiphe isitatimende esithunyelelwe abezindaba iqinisekisa ukuthi uzoqhubeka njengokuhleliwe lo mjaho, futhi yiyona ezowuhlela ekupheleni kukaNovemba nakuba lungakamenyezelwa usuku. 

Kulesi sitatimende okhulumela i-NPC, uJabu Mbuli, uveze ukuthi le nhlangano ithole igunya lokuhlela lo mjaho ngokuthola ukwesekwa ngamakilabhu okugijima aseSoweto ayisishiyagalolunye kwangu-11, egcizelela ngokuthi uhlaka olusha luzoletha ukuphathwa okungcono nokucacile kwemali yalo mjaho oxhaswe yi-African Bank. 

“Lo mjaho ngowamakilabhu okugijima aseSoweto, manje usuzophathwa ngabantu, bewuphathela abantu.

ISoweto Marathon Trust ebihlela lo mjaho ayihambisanga kahle izinto kusukela ngo-Ephreli 2023, yehluleka ukuveza imibiko yezimali eqondile iminyaka emithathu,” kusho uMbuli esitatimendeni. 

UKhonkhobe (29) weNedbank Running Club nguyena odle umhlanganiso kwiSoweto Marathon yebanga lika-42.2km nyakenye ngesikhathi esingu-2:16:36 eqala ukuyigijima. 

Unqobe iSoweto ebuya ekuwineni iTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon yebanga lika-56km, eKapa. 

“Kuyangijabulisa ukuthi siyatholakala isisombululo ngeSoweto Marathon ngoba ngizimisele kakhulu ngokubuyela ngiyovikela isicoco. Sengivele ngiqalile nozakwethu oTete Dijana no-Edward Mothibi, engiziqeqesha nabo ukulungiselela iSoweto Marathon,” kusho uKhonkhobe.

Lo mgijimi odabuka eNorth-West nakuba engalibonanga elidlalayo kwiTwo Oceans yanonyaka kodwa ukunqoba kwakhe iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yebanga lika-52km ngo-Ephreli, kumnika umfutho wokuya kwiSoweto ukuyoyivikela.

“Angiyiqedanga iTwo Oceans yakulo nyaka ebengiye kuyona ngifuna ukuyoyivikela kodwa ngakwazi ukuvuka ngizithathe ngiyogijima iPrince Mangosuthu ngafika ngayiwina. 

Ngaya nakwiComrades Marathon ngaba yi-pace setter, ngakho ngisayibambe ngakho ngamalungiselelo ami okuyovikela isicoco kwiSoweto futhi ngizimisele kakhulu ngokwenza isikhathi esingcono kunesangonyaka odlule. Nakuba ngazi ukuthi ngeke kube lula ukunqoba lo mjaho kodwa ngizimisele kakhulu ukuwunqoba," kuphetha uKhonkhobe.