UMSUBATHI ogqibe ihlazo lokungenzi kahle kwabagijimi baKwaZulu -Natal kwiComrades Marathon, uJenet Mbhele, udalula ukuthi usizwe amazwi kaGerda Steyn ukuze akwazi ukuqeda kwi-Top 10.
UMbhele odabuka eMzimkhulu, ubeyigijima okokuqala iComrades (87.7km) esuke eCity Hall, eMgungundlovu yayophelela eThekwini, eHollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
Ugqibe ihlazo labasubathi baseKZN kubona bobubili ubulili ngokuba nguye yedwa ongene kwi-Top 10. Ulale eyeshumi ngesikhathi esiwu-6:27.14.
Ingqwele kube uSteyn wePhantane AC ngesiwu-5:44.54 ophule irekhodi elisha kwehliwa.
Kwabesilisa bakulesi sifundazwe ofike kuqala esiphethweni endaweni ka-11, uSikhumbuzo Seme ogijimela iHollywoodbets AC, wenze esiwu-5:30.05. UNkosikhona Mhlakwana obebhekiwe ukuthi enze kahle uqede endaweni ka-11, uBongmusa Mthembu naye ovamise ukusimela kahle isifundazwe uqede kunombolo-16.
Kuqhume amakhwela kwakikiza omama, bobabili laba basubathi baseKZN bebongwa emcimbini obuyizolo eThekwini, obekuklonyeliswa kuwo bonke abenze kahle kwiComrades yalo nyaka.
Umgijimi ngamunye ugixabezwe ngesheke likaR60 000, inkomishi nezindondo.
Ngaphambi kokuya kulo mjaho ohlonishwa umhlaba wonke, uMbhele, ocijwa uThami Khuboni, utshele Isolezwe ukuthi akakubhekile ukunqoba noma ukungena kwi-Top 10. Uthe usafuna ukuzwa amazwi ngobhoko.
Nokho ukuvezile ukuthi uma ithuba liqhamuka ngeke aliyeke.
Ngesikhathi sekucaca ukuthi uzongena kwi-Top 10 kuhlokome inkundla bemubongela.
Ebuzwa ngemfihlo eyenze wathola isibindi, uveze ukuthi zimbili ezimsizile.
"Ngisikhathi umjaho sewuzoqala ekuseni eMgungundlovu, ngehlelwe inhlanhla ebengingayilindele. UGerda uze kumina wangitshela ukuthi uyangazi ukuthi nginamandla futhi nginesibindi. Uthe kumele ngibekezele noma sekunzima. Ungicebise ngokuthi ngenze konke engitshelwe kona umqeqeshi. Ngizibuzile ukuthi ngizohlulwa yini uma umuntu omkhulu njengoGerda engithemba?" kubeka uMbhele obefa injabulo.
Uphinde wabonga kubantu ababeyizethameli emgwaqweni, kumqeqeshi nakwikilabhu yakhe iXcel Running Club .
"Bengingazi ukuthi ngaziwa kanje. Abantu bebengigqugquzela ngendlela eyisimanga. Ngibonga kakhulu nakwiXcel ngokungixhasa ngakho konke. Umqeqeshi ubehlale enami emgwaqweni, engitshela ukuthi ngisayibambe ngakho. Kuthe sengimaphakathi nomzila bangitshela ukuthi ngikwi-Top 10, yilapho engizitshele khona ukuthi ngeke ngisaliyeka leli thuba, ngingamane ngifele emgwaqweni. Ngithe ngingamane ngiqulekele entanjeni," kuqhuba uJenet.
Ubonge kakhulu nakumndeni wakhe ngokumxhasa.
"Ekhaya nasendaweni yakithi eMzimkhulu, bajabule kakhulu. Bebephume ngobuningi ukuzongeseka. Bekuphume ngisho uMbhishobhi uManci (we-Apostolic Church of God). Uthe usuku lwangeSonto uzoluchitha nami. Izandla zidlula ikhanda nakuhulumeni waKwaZulu-Natal ngokungihlonipha ngale ndlela. Le mali abangiphe yona izokwenza omkhulu umehluko emndenini wami,“ kuphetha uMbhele.