UMGIJIMI wasePomeroy, eMsinga u-Ayanda Ngcobo (27), owaqhashisa okwenhlavu kwiComrades Marathon yanyakenye maqede wangayiqeda, ugonyuluka ngesifundo sokuthi ayizelwa ngobuso.
Kwakungakapheli makhilomitha angakanani kuqhume isibhamu sokususa lo mjaho ngesikhathi kubonakala uNgcobo eqengqeleza ngejubane phambili.
Umjaho nyakenye wawehlika usuka eMgungundlovu ubheke eKingsmead Cricket Stadium, eThekwini.
Izinkulungwane zabantu amehlo azo ayethe njo komabonakude, zizibuza ukuthi ngabe ungubani lo mgijimi?
Zazizibuza ukuthi ngabe leli jubane ayegijima ngalo lizokwazi yini ukumenza aqede u-87.7km.
Kwabamaziyo uNgcobo babemangazwa wukuthi bamazela kumabanga amafishane, afana no-42km. Okunye kwakungokokuqala egijima iComrades.
Ngempela ku-51km, uNgcobo wabonakala ephuma emzileni. Kwabe sekuqhamuka iziqhwaga zeNedbank Running Club okwagcina kukhonye iningi lazo ku-Top 10.
Intambo yagcina ishaywe umgijimi wale kilabhu, uTete Dijana ngesikhathi esiwu-5:13.58. Kwabesifazane kwanqoba uGerda Steyn wePhantane AC, ngesiwu-5:44.54.
UNgcobo ocijwa uqweqwe lwamabanga amade, uXolani Mabhida, utshele Isolezwe Ngempelasonto ukuthi uyabuyela kwiComrades ezobe inyuka kulo nyaka ngoJuni 9.
Efa yinsini, uNgcobo ulandise leli phephandaba ukuthi umndeni wakhe wawuthi awumudle umfele ngesenzo sakhe sokuphuma maphakathi nomzila weComrades.
"Ngathi ngifika ekhaya ngathethiswa into ongakaze uyibone. Babezitshela ukuthi sesinothile kwaNgcobo. Kubona ngangifana noseyinqobile iComrades.
“Kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya noma sengichaza. Ngeke ngibatshele ukuthi ngibuyela kuyo, bazozwa ngalo Isolezwe. Ngisaba ingcindezi abazongifakela yona," kubeka uNgcobo, oziphilisa ngakho ukugijima.
Echaza ngokwenza waqhashisa okwenhlamvu nyakenye, uthe: "Akuyena umqeqeshi noma ikilabhu eyathi angihlale phambili zisuka. Bona babethe angiphume emzileni ku-42km.
“Okwenza ngahlala phambili zisuka ukuthi ngangifuna ukubuzwa kahle ngingedwa ubunzima beComrades. Ngabona sengathi ukungena esixukwini kuzongibambezela. Sasihamba ngesivinini esiphansi.
“Endleleni kwakukhona ababengigqugquzela, abanye bengithethisa. Ngathi ngidlula ku-42 km ngezwa ukuthi amandla asekhona.
“Ngaphuma ku-51 km. Ngashaywa uvalo, ngabona ukuthi ngalesi sivinini engangihamba ngaso namandla esengiwamoshile ngeke ngiwuqede umjaho,“ esho.
UNgcobo onengane yomfana, uSibongakonke Majozi (6), uthe akufundile nyakenye ukuthi izinto kwiComrades zenziwa ngendlela yakhona. Uyalimala uma uyizela ngobuso.
Emasontweni edlule, ulale isibili kwiPrince Mangosuthu Ultra 52km Marathon ebinyuka, isuka eDundee, iphelela eNquthu.
Wenze isikhathi esiwu-3:02.02. Ugile lezi zimanga ephuma ekulimaleni obese kumhlalise amasonto amabili.
"Kulo nyaka isifiso sami ukuyiqeda iComrades, ngeke ngigagamele. Okuhle ukuthi ngenza kahle uma kwenyukwa. Kungisize kakhulu ukugijima iPrince Mangosuthu.
“Izintaba zayo zingiqeqeshe kahle. Njengamanje umqeqeshi umatasa nokusiqinisa umqondo nomzimba ukuze sizomelana neComrades," kusho uNgcobo.
Uthe nokho ngeke aliyeke ithuba lokungena kwabaphambili uma livela. Uveze nokuthi akaphoqwanga yikilabhu noma umqeqeshi ukungenela iComrades.
Empeleni uthe bekumele ayomela iKwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) kuma-ASA Half Marathon Championships kodwa waqoma ukungenela iComrades. Ama-ASA Half Marathon angoJuni 1, eGqeberha.
UMandla Mngomezulu weXcel, uthe bangu-65 abagijimi babo abazongenela iComrades.
Nokho amathemba abo bawabeke kuye uNgcobo, Dion Ross, Thokozani Mbambo, Sphamandla Nyembe, Menzi Mtolo nakuJenet Mbhele owagila izimanga nyakenye elala eyeshumi (kwabesifazane) ekubeni wayeqala ukuyigijima.