KUMELE bazisole bona abasubathi bakuleli ngokwehluleka ukunqoba i-African Bank Soweto Marathon. Ngamazwi ashiwo nguNtsindiso Mphakathi weNtsika AC, exoxa neSolezwe kanti nguye owenza kahle emjahweni ngasohlangothini lwabesilisa.
Umjaho wanonyaka ngeSonto kanti uzoqala ubuye uphelele eFNB Stadium, eGoli. Selokhu kwagcina ngo-2011 ukuthi abakuleli bashaye intambo lapho kwangena uMichael Mazibuko.
Ngemuva kwakhe akekho oseke washaya intambo, sekukhonya abase-Ethiopia, Kenya naseLesotho.
UMphakathi ukhulele ePort Saint Johns, e-Eastern Cape, osezinze eGauteng, ungomunye wabasubathi bakuleli abasakwazi ukumela elakuleli. Ngo-2017 uphume isithathu ngesikhathi esiwu-2:21.23.
Ngo-2019 ulale kweyesishiyagalombili ngesikhathi 2:19.45 kwathi ngo-2020 nango-2021 ayangahlelwa iSoweto Marathon ngenxa yeCovid-19.
Nyakenye intambo ishaywe nguDaba Debele wase-Ethiopia 2:18.58. Kube nguTshepo Ramashamole kwakuleli ofike kuqala esiphethweni eqeda kweyesithathu ngo-2:20.21.
UMphakathi ocijwa nguHandrick Ramaala ulale kweyesihlanu ngo-2:21.21.
Kwabesifazane kunqobe uChetu Negashu wase-Ethiopia, ngo-2.40.56 kwathi intokazi yakuleli, uSibongile Tshabalala waphuma isibili ngo-2:41.58. Kwabakuleli besifazane akufani ngoba intambo igcine ishaywe ngu-Irvette van Zyl ngo-2019. Ubenqoba okwesithathu kulandelana.
UMphakathi uchaze umzila wayo njengolukhuni ngendlela eyisimanga. Uwufanise noweNelson Mandela Day Marathon. Uthe udinga umsubathi oqatha ngokwanele.
Into yokuqala athe ingenye eyenza abasubathi bakuleli besilisa bangayinqobi iSoweto ukuthi ababambisani emzileni.
"Emzileni kumele ube neqembu ozogijima nalo, ozocobelelana nalo ngolwazi niphinde nimake nezimbangi. Abakuleli abakwenzi lokhu. Lo mzila unzima, kuhhafu uyakukhohlisa, ubona sengathi konke kuhamba kahle kanti awubuzanga elangeni.
"Okwesibili abasubathi abazijwayezi ukujima kulo mzila. Mina ngilekelelwa ukuthi ngiyazijwayeza wona. Ngiyazi unzima futhi ulula kuphi. Inkinga ngokujimela kuwona kuphazamisa ukugcwala kwamatekisi. Okunye okuyinkinga, lo mjaho ugijinywa ehlobo, kusuke sekushisa. Yingakho uhlale unqotshwa abase-Ethiopia, naseKenya ngoba lishisa kakhulu emazweni abo," kubeka uMphakathi.
Uthe ukholelwa ekutheni uma ozakwabo bengenza akusho ngenhla bangayinqoba iSoweto.
Ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka lo msubathi unqobe iPrince Mangosuthu 52k Ultra Marathon ngo-3:00.45. Ugijime koweComrades Marathon okokuqala.
Abahleli beSoweto bamemezele ukuthi balindele abasubathi abawu-50 000. Kubhekwe nokuthi usakazwe kwiSupersport. Bazogoduka no-R250 000 abazoshaya intambo.