UMPETHA weTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon ne-African Bank Soweto Marathon, u-Onalenna Khonkhobe, usha amashushu ngokugijima umjaho iComrades Marathon okokuqala kulo nyaka.
IComrades yaminyaka yonke yebanga lika-85.9km, nonyaka, izosuka eMgungundlovu iphele eThekwini ngoJuni 8.
UKhonkhobe (28) weNedbank Running Club osezakhele igama ngokwenza kahle emabangeni ka-56km no-42km, nyakenye, wenze ezibukwayo edla umhlanganiso kwiTwo Oceans yebanga lika-56km ngesikhathi sika-3:09:30. Udle umhlanganiso kwiSoweto Marathon yebanga lika-4-2.2km ngesikhathi sika-2:18:36.
Nakuba ekuveza ukuthi maduze uzoqala amalungiselelo okuvikela isicoco seTwo Oceans ezogijinywa ngo-Ephreli kodwa lo mgijimi odabuka eTaung kodwa osezinze eKlerksdorp, eNorth West, uzoyibamba kwiComrades okokuqala selokhu aqala ukugijima imijaho yamabanga amade.
“Sengikwazile ukugijima imijaho emibili yamabanga amade okuyiTwo Oceans neSoweto Marathon ngayinqoba. Nakuba ingeke iqhathaniswe neComrades Marathon yebanga elide kakhulu kunayo kodwa isifiso sami wukuyogijima iComrades.
“IComrades wumjaho omkhulu nohlonishwayo emhlabeni, ngakho akekho umgijimi ongafisi ukuyigijima. Nami ngicabanga ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi ngiyobamba iqhaza kuwona,” kusho uKhonkhobe engxoxweni yakhe neSolezwe.
Lo mgijimi ocijwa nguDave Adams, usekilabhini eyodwa nezinsephe okubalwa kuzo u-Edward Mothibi, Dan Matshailwe, Dan Moselakwe noTete Dijana.
UMothibi unqobe iComrades ngo-2019, uDijana usenqobe iComrades amahlandla amabili ngo-2022 nango-2023, kanti uMoselakwe ulale isibili nyakenye, elandela uPiet Wiersma waseNetherlands.
“Kuyangikhuthaza kakhulu ukuba sekilabhini yinye futhi ngiziqeqesha nozakwethu asebeke bayiwina iComrades phambilini, engibala kubo u-Edward (Mothibi) noTete (Dijana).
“Ngiyakuqonda ukuthi iComrades akuwona umjaho olula kodwa uyagijimeka ngoba ngibabonile ozakwethu bewugijima bewuwina. Ngicabanga ukuthi nami ngingakwazi ukukwenza lokho uma ngizibophezele futhi ngizosebenza ngokuzikhandla.
“Kodwa njengamanje ngisazogxila emalungiselelweni eTwo Oceans engizowaqala ngoFebhuwari 1 kuze kube sekupheleni kukaMashi.
Ngemuva kweTwo Oceans, ngizobe sengiphumula kancane ngaphambi kokulungiselela iComrades,” kuphetha uKhonkhobe, okubeke kwacaca ukuthi uzimisele nangokuvikela isicoco seSoweto Marathon.