UKWANDA kwesibalo sabagijimi abasebancane kwiComrades Marathon kwenza umqeqeshi wamabanga amade, uXolani Mabhida, abone emakhulu nonyaka amathuba okwephulwa kwamarekhodi.
Umjaho onesiqubulo esithi Nakanjani, uqala ngo-5.30 ekuseni, ngoJuni 9, eCity Hall, eThekwini, uphele Scottville Racecourse, eMgungundlovu.
Kulindeleke ukuthi kuncintisane abagijimi abawu-23 000. Kwagcinwa ngo-2019 ukwenyukwa. Kwabesilisa kwagcina kunqobe u-Edward Mothibi (5:31.33). Kwabesifazane kwaba uGerda Steyn (5:58.53).
Wephula irekhodi uSteyn. Nanyakenye kwehliwa umgijimi wePhantane AC, uphinde esifanayo eshaya intambo ngesikhathi esiwu-5.44.54.
Ngawo u-2023, kwabesilisa, irekhodi liphulwe nguTete Dijana ngesiwu-5:13.58. Nango-2022 kwakunqobe yena uDijana.
Njengoba kwenyukwa, abesilisa bazobe belwa nokwephula elikaLeonid Shvetsov waseRussia, lika-5:24.39. Walishaya ngo-2008.
NgoLwesihlanu iComrades Marathon Association (CMA), imemezele ukuthi abazoshaya intambo bazoklonyeliswa ngesamba sika-R825 000. Umklomelo unyuswe ngemuva koxhaso lweCell C. Ozodlula kuqala eCato Ridge futhi aqede umjaho ngaphansi kwamahora ayisithupha kwabesilisa (ayisikhombisa kwabesifazane) uzohlomula ngoR50 000.
Kule minyaka embalwa edlule kubonakale kwanda isibalo sabasubathi abasebancane kulo mjaho ikakhulu abesilisa. Ukushesha nokuba namandla kwenze zashesha izikhathi. Phambilini bekwaziwa ukuthi iComrades ngeyabadala, abangesenalo ijubane.
UMabhida owayeqeqesha uBongumusa Mthembu ngo-2017, ngesikhathi enqoba iComrades, utshele iphephandaba ukuthi ubona sizokwanda kakhulu isibalo sabesilisa, abasebancane kulo nyaka.
Uthe lokhu kungaba nomthelela wokuphulwa kwerekhodi.
"Ngibona kuzoba umbango phakathi kwabasebancane nabanesipiliyoni. Kuzoba ongaphansi nongaphezu. Kugcwalisela engangihlale ngikusho ukuthi iComrades akuyona kuphela eyabantu asebebadala, abangesenalo ijubane.
“Kungamanga ukuthi lo mjaho uyaliqeda ijubane. Kuyathokozisa ukuthi abagijimi abancane bagcine bebonile ukuthi bayazibambezela. Ukufika kwabo kwenze kwaba nezikhathi ezinhle. Nakulo nyaka ngibona liphuka irekhodi kwabesilisa. Anginaso isiqiniseko kwabesifazane," kubeka uMabhida.
Ube esexwayisa abasebancane ukuthi bangaphaphi.
"Okokuqala umjaho uzonqotshwa ozovunwa wusuku. Ngozophinde akwazi ukufunda ngendlela umjaho ikakhulu uma sekudlulwe kuhhafu womzila. Kwabancane intambo izashawa ngozoba yiqili. Ozokwazi ukuntshontsha isipiliyoni sabadala. Uzokwazi ukubaxhaphaza. Ngisho umfana ozokwazi ukukhuluma nomjaho. Inkinga ngabasebancane bayayiphaphela iComrades. Uma besezwa ukuthi amandla asekhona bavele baqhashe ngejubane kusazogijinywa cishe u-30km. Bazikhohlisa ngokuthi ngeke lamakhilomitha abahlule. Yilapho beshawa khona ngabanesipiliyoni.“
Kwabancane abazobe bekhona uDijana, Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, Mholi Jali, Siphesihle Nene, Ayanda Ngcobo ukusho abambalwa. Iningi lizobe liqala ukuyigijima. Kwabesifazane kubhekwe uJenet Mbhele.
UMabhida uxwayise ngokuthi uDijana angakuphinda lokho. Uthe njengoba kwenyukwa unomzimba olula. Akazange amshinye ngaphandle uMthembu kwabangase bangamangaze abantu kanjalo noMothibi.