UMGIJIMI osemnkamntshubomvu ophethe irekhodi lokunqoba umjaho owehlayo weComrades Marathon, uDavid Gatebe, uthi uneqhinga lokuphinda akwenza ngo-2016 enqoba umjaho kwehliwa.
UGatebe (41) nguyena osaphethe irekhodi lokunqoba umjaho owehlayo ngesikhathi esisheshayo emlandweni weComrades Marathon, okuyisikhathi esingu-5:18:19, aliqopha ngoMeyi 2016.
Emjahweni wakulo nyaka owehlayo osuka eCity Hall, eMgungundlovu kusasa, ekuseni ngo-5.30 ekuseni, kulindeleke ukuba zidlane imilala njengoba kubhekwe izinkalimeva zabagijimi abehlukene asebengomakadebona nabasebasha emjahweni ozophela eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini ntambama.
Exoxa neSolezwe ngoMgqibelo uthe: “Ngineqhinga engizolisebenzisa emjahweni wakulo nyaka, okuyilona engihlose ngalo ukunqoba umjaho, ikakhulukazi njengoba kulo nyaka kungumjaho owehlayo.
Ngiyakuthokozela kakhulu ukugijima umjaho owehlayo, futhi ngizilungisele ngokwanele ukugijima umjaho wakulo nyaka.
Isipiliyoni sami sokugijima lo mjaho yisona engigabe ngaso, mina nabanye abagjimi asebenesipiliyoni njengami,” kusho uGatebe esithangamini sabezindaba eMaharani Hotel, eThekwini izolo ngenhlazane.
Eqhuba uthe: “Ngikulambele kakhulu ukugijima iComrades, iminyaka emibili yonke ngingayigijimi. Ngakho emjahweni wakulo nyaka ngizimisele ngokwenza into yamehlo, ezoshiya abaningi bebambe ongezansi, yize ngibahlonipha ozakwethu engizobe ngigijima nabo, kodwa ngizimisele ngokuwunqoba lo mjaho.”
Abanye abagijimi ababhekiwe kwiComrades nonyaka, kubalwa u-Edward Mothibi ovikela isicoco, Bongumusa Mthembu, Mahlomola Sekhonyana, Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, no-Edndale Belachew.
UMthembu useyinqobe amahlandla amathathu iComrades, agcine ukuyinqoba ngo-2018, waphuma isibili ngo-2019.
UMhlakwana ophume endaweni yeshumi nanye kwiComrades yango-2019, ungomunye wababhekiwe kulandela ukunqoba kwakhe iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon nyakenye nokuphuma isibili kwiTwo Oceans Marathon yaku lo nyaka.
UMothibi, ongumpetha ovikela isicoco, uthe: “Ngizimisele kakhulu ngokusivikela isicoco, futhi sengimagange kakhulu ngokuyibamba ishisa emjahweni iComrades, engizimisele kakhulu ngokuwunqoba. Amalungiselo ami ahambe ngohlelo.”
UMthembu yena uthe: “Ngihlonipha wonke umgijimi ozobe ebambe iqhaza kwiComrades yakulo nyaka, kodwa ngizimisele ngokuwunqoba umjaho,” kushaya ngamafuphi uMthembu.