UMHLAZIYI wezokugijima, uMthandeni Nene, ubona umpetha wanonyaka weTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon ezophuma kubagijimi abayisikhombisa okubalwa nabadle umhlanganiso ngo-2023 nangonyaka odlule.
I-Two Oceans yanonyaka yebanga lika-56km izogijinywa ngoMgqibelo eKapa, kuthi eyebanga lika-21km igijinywe ngeSonto.
Phakathi kwabagijimi okulindeleke ukuthi bashaye intambo, kubalwa u-Onallena Khonkhobe, Stephen Mokoka, Lloyd Bosman, Givemore Mudzinganyama, Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, Sithembiso Mqhele noLekhotla Pulinyana.
Nyakenye umhlanganiso udliwe nguKhonkhobe weNedbank Club ngesikhathi esingu-3:09:30. Ulandelwe nguLloyd Bosman naye ongoweNedbank, endaweni yesithathu kwangena uGivemore Mudzinganyama we-Entsika Athletics Club.
UKhonkhobe kubhekwe ngabomvu ukuthi uzokwazi yini ukuvikela isicoco sakhe kulo mjaho njengoba uMudzinganyama waseZimbabwe obenqobe lo mjaho ngo-2023 ngesikhathi esingu-3:09:56 ehlulekile ukusivikela nyakenye.
“Umjaho wanonyaka uzobe ungelula ngoba kuzobe kuqhudelana abagijimi abangene kwabathathu bokuqala ngo-2023 nango-2024. Kwabahlanu bokuqala esingabalindela, nguBosman, Khonkhobe, Mudzinganyama, Mokoka, Mhlakwana, Mqhele noPulinyana.
UPulinyana (waseLesotho) ongumpetha wangonyaka odlule wePrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon, wenze kahle nakwiSoweto Marathon nyakenye, waphinda wenza kahle nakwiCapital City Marathon, eMgungundlovu, ngoFebhuwari,” kusho uNene, ophinde abe ngumqeqeshi wabagijimi abehlukene baKwaZulu-Natal.
Ngaphandle kukaMokoka osemnkantshubomvu emijahweni yamabanga amade, uMhlakwana weHollywood Athletics Club, ungomunye wabagijimi ababhekiwe emjahweni wanonyaka.
Lo mgijimi odabuka eHowick, eMgungundlovu, ngo-2022 wathatha isibili ngesikhathi esingu-3:09:06 eqala ukuwugijima. Ngo-2023 waphuma isithathu ngesikhathi esingu-3:10:14, kwathi ngonyaka odlule wangawugijima. Ngakho ukukhuza kwakhe ibuya nonyaka kwenza abhekwe ngabomvu.
Kwabesifazane, uNene uthipha uGerda Steyn, Carla Molinaro waseBritain, Neheng Khatala waseLesotho, Irvette Van Zyl noLoveness Madziva waseZimbabwe kwabahlanu bokuqala.
"USteyn osenqobe lo mjaho amahlandla amane, nokunguyena ophethe irekhodi lalo mjaho, ngokwezinga lokubaqatha kwakhe, kuzoba ngumqansa ukumsusa esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi nonyaka,” kuqhuba uNene.
Nyakenye uVan Zyl ulale isibili, isithathu kwaba nguMadziva. Endaweni yesine kube nguJenet Mbhele. Nokho, ukuhoxa kukaMbhele kowanonyaka, sekunika uMadziva noVan Zyl ithuba lokudlisela ogageni uSteyn.