UJATSHULISWA wukuphenduka isilomo endaweni yangakubo eMzimkhulu, uJenet Mbhele onqobe iMandela Day 21km Marathon ngempelasonto edlule.
Le ntokazi yeXcel Running Club, ivale unyaka ngokushaya intambo ngesikhathi esiwu-1:19.05. Isibili sithathwe uMathakane Letsie, isithathu saphunywa uNtokozo Mkhize.
Kwabesilisa, umhlanganiso udliwe uJobo Khotoane waseLesotho, isibili kwaba uSeutloali Khoahlanee noSinethemba Tshangase kweyesithathu.
Ebangeni lika-10km kwabesilisa kukhonye uSibusiso Kubheka (30:26), Komohelo Mofolo (30:28) noBongelani Mkhwanazi (30:30).
Kwabesifazane kukhonye uMwabisa Mjoli (39:00), Andiswa Njunguza (39:14) noNonhle Dlamini (40:51). Bese kuphele isikhathi eside lo mjaho wagcina ukugijinywa ngenxa yombango obuphakathi kwabaqembu abewuhlela okuyiHammarsdale ne-Edendele AC. La makilabhu amisiwe ukusingatha imiqhudelwano ngenxa yokufaka iKwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) enkantolo.
Lo mqhudelwano ugcine uhlelwe iyo iKZN eholwa uSteve Mkasi. Akubuzwa ukuthi lo nyaka ube ngomunye wemihle kuJenet odabuka eWhite City, unqobe imijaho eminingi.
Kophezulu, ukhiphe ehlazweni abasubathi bakulesi sifundazwe ephuma indawo yeshumi kwiComrades Marathon. Okujabulise abaningi ukuthi lokhu ukwenze ekubeni ubeqala ukuyigijima.
"Ngiyabonga, lo nyaka ube muhle kakhulu kumina. Ngigijime kahle kakhulu. Kube yikho nje ukuthi angizange ngigqoke imibalo yezwe lami. Akusasizi ukukhala, lisekhona elinye ithuba ngonyaka ozayo.
"IMandela Day Marathon wumjaho ohlonishwa izwe lonke. Njengokujwayelekile umzila bewunzima ngendlela eyisimanga. Bekwehla kuphinde kwenyukele. Okubuye kwawenza wanzima wukuthi nabagijimi abebewungele abezinga eliphezulu, bekushubile. Ngibonga kakhulu kubantu bangasekhaya ngendlela abangeseka ngayo. Uma ngiyodlala bahlale benginika ithemba. Engathi umphakathi wangakithi ungaba namaholidi amahle,“ kusho uJenet.
Lesi silomo siveze ukuthi naso kusimangazile ukunqoba iMandela Day Marathon.
"Angizange ngibe nawo amalungiselelo amahle. Bengizitshele ukuthi ngiyozijimela nje. Nokho kuthe uma ngibona izinto zingihambela kahle sekusele amakhilomitha ambalwa kuphele umjaho ngazitshela ukuthi ngeke ngisaliyeka leli thuba.“
UJenet uveze nokuthi uyabuyela ngonyaka ozayo kwiComrades Marathon. Ubelokhu ekucacisile ukuthi njengoba umjaho uzobe unyuka, uzobe nakulokhu ezwa amanzi ngobhoko.