UVEZA ukuthi amaphutha awenze kwiComrades Marathon eminyakeni edlule, amcije wabukhali njengothi lomkhonto, uNkosikhona "Pit Bull" Mhlakwana ongelinye lamathemba eKwaZulu-Natal neNingizimu Afrika kulo mjaho.
Akusekho ukubuyela emuva njengoba sekubalwa izinsuku kushaye iSonto okuzogijinywa ngalo lo mjaho obalwa nemide emhlabeni. Kulokhu izinkulungwane zabagijimi zizobe zizimisele ngokuqeda ibanga elingu-85.9 km.
Bazosuka ngo-5.30 ekuseni eCity Hall, eThekwini, bebheke ukuyoqeda eScottville Racecourse, eMgungundlovu.
IComrades izobe inyuka ngemuva kweminyaka emine njengoba lokhu kwagcina ukwenzeka ngo-2019.
Ngo-2020 nango-2021, awuzange ugijinywe lo mjaho ngenxa yeCovid-19.
Ngo-2019 uMhlakwana ogijimela iHollywoodbets AC, waba undabamlonyeni kwabaningi abalandela iComrades elala indawo eyesi-12 ekubeni wayeqala ukuyigijima.
Empeleni ukube akaphelelwanga amandla sekusele ibangana kufikwe esiphethweni, wayengaqeda nakweyesishiyagalombili.
Ngo-2022 yabuya ngamandla le nsizwa yaKwaMathandubisi, eHowick, ingena endaweni yesithupha (5:43.27). Kwagcina kunqobe uTete Dijana waseNorth West, ngesiwu-5:30.37.
Kuphinda kwehliwa, ngo-2023, uMhlakwana akenzanga kahle njengoba aqeda kweyesi-12 ngesiwu-5:30.35. Kwaphinde kwakhonya uDijana (5:13.58).
UMhlakwana utshele Isolezwe ukuthi nyakenye iphutha lenziwa wuye nomqeqeshi wakhe, uProdigal Khumalo ngesikhathi ehluleka ukungena kwi-top 10.
"Uzokhumbula ukuthi ngo-2022, isikhathi okwanqotshwa ngaso kwaba u-5:30. Sesihlelela iComrades ka-2023 savumelana ngokulwela lesi sikhathi ukuze sizonqoba noma singene ku-top 10. Senza lokhu kanti asibuzanga elangeni. Umjaho wanyakenye wavele washesha ngendlela eyisimanga. Ngabona sekuseli u-15 km ukuthi sekubhedile. Nakuba ngingeke ngande kodwa lokhu ngeke kuphinde kwenzeke, sikwazile ukukulungisa," kubeka uMhlakwana.
Uveze ukuthi ukuphelelwa ngamandla ngo-2019, sekusele u-500m kwamphatha kabi isikhathi eside.
"Namanje ngeke ngande ngamazwi. Engingakusho ukuthi besisebenzela phezu kwalo 500m. Okunye bekungasikhathazi. Ngiyakholelwa ekutheni senginayo imbijana yolwazi ngeComrades. Ukuphuma ku-top 12 kusukela ngo-2019 kuya ngo-2023, kungitshela ukuthi nginalo ithuba lokungena kwabayishumi bokuqala ngeSonto. Ukube ngo-2022 nango-2023 ngakwazi ukuqeda kwabayisihlanu abaphambili mhlawumbe bengingaba nalo ilungelo lokuthi ngizoyishaya intambo.“
Ngo-2019, kwabesilisa kwagcina kwanqoba u-Edward Mothibi (5:31.33). Kwabesifazane kwaba uGerda Steyn (5:58.53) owaphula irekhodi. Nanyakenye uGerda uphinde esifanayo ngesiwu-5.44.54.
Njengoba kwenyukwa, abesilisa bazobe belwa nokuphula elikaLeonid Shvetsov waseRussia, lika-5:24.39, alishaya ngo-2008.