IGCAGCELE esokeni kubagijimi abebehluleka ukungenela iComrades Marathon kulandela isimemezelo senhlangano iComrades Marathon Association (CMA) sokusinyusela emahoreni ayisihlanu esokuzibekisela indawo kulo mjaho ozosuka eMgungundlovu uphelele eThekwini ngoJuni 8.
Kuze kube izolo omunye wemibandela yokungenela lo mjaho ogijinywa minyaka yonke, bekumele umgijimi aqede u-42.2 km engakapheli amahora amane nemizuzu engu-50.
Ngenxa yalokhu, baningi abagijimi abebegcina ngokuyibuka kwithelevishini iComrades ngoba behlulwa ukuqeda u-42.2 km ngalesi sikhathi ebesibekiwe.
“Njengoba sekusele izinsuku ezingaphansi kwezingu-150 ukuba kufike usuku lomjaho okuzobe kungoka-98 emlandweni, i-CMA ikumemezela ngentokozo ukuthi kusukela namuhla sekudingeka ukuba bonke abagijimi baqede u-42.2 km ngamahora amahlanu agcwele ukuze bangenele iComrades Marathon,” isho kanje ingxenye yesitatimende seCMA ngoLwesithathu.
“Isizathu salokhu wukuqinisekisa ukuthi iComrades ivuleleka kakhulu kubona bonke abantu abakhona emhlabeni ngokwahlukana kwabo.
“Siyethemba ukuthi lesi sinqumo sizogqugquzela nabanye abagijimi ukuba bawungenele lo mjaho,” kusho lesi sitatimende sijobelela ngokuthi lesi sinqumo sithathwe ngemuva kwezingxoxo ezinqala obekukhona kuzona bonke abathintekayo kusukela kubaxhasi kuze kuyofika kumakilabhu amele abagijimi.
Usihlalo weCMA, uMqondisi Ngcobo, uthe bakholelwa ekutheni lesi sinqumo asigcini ngokukhombisa ukuzinikela kwabo ekukhuliseni lo mjaho kepha bafuna ukuwenza uvuleleke kakhulu kunakuqala.
“Sinethemba lokuthi lolu shintsho luzogqugquzela abagijimi abangaphezulu kwezibalo ezejwayelekile ukuba bazizwele konke okuhle abahlale bekuzwa ngokuba yingxenye yeComrades,” kusho uNgcobo.
U-Alain Dalais oyibamba esikhundleni sokuba yiCMA Race & Operations Manager uzwakalise ukuchazeka ngalesi sinqumo.
“Nakanjani bazokwanda abagijimi ngokwahlukana kobuhlanga babo okuyinto esiyisibonelo ngayo kwiComrades,” kusho yena.
“Usuku lokugcina lokufaka isicelo sokungenela uMayi 5, ngakho-ke abagijimi bayacelwa ukuba basheshise imininingwane yabo ethinta izikhathi ukuze zisheshe izimpendulo ngemingenelo yabo,” kusho uDalais.
Kuthathwa izikhathi ezithinta imijaho kusukela ngoJuni wanyakenye kuze kube uMeyi 5 ka-2025. Ngokweminye iminingwane i-CMA iyaleze abagijimi ukuba bangene kwi-website yayo (www.comrades.com).