UMGIJIMI odlondlobalayo uMsawenkosi Mthalane, uyazisola ngokungagijimi kweminye imijaho emqoka yamabanga amade ngoba ethi uzongela iComrades Marathon emvovile. Akalibonanga elidlalayo kulo mjaho webanga lika-87km.
UMthalane (30) waseSweetwaters, eMgungundlovu, engxoxweni abanayo neSolezwe Ngempelasonto, wakubeka kwacaca ukuthi uzoyizila eminye imijaho abevame ukuyigijima agxile ngokuphelele ekulungiseleleni ukuyibamba kwiComrades yakulo nyaka, ebikhuphuka isuka eThekwini ibheke eMgungundlovu, ekuqaleni kukaJuni.
Lo mgijimi owangenela iComrades okokuqala nyakenye akangayiqeda ngenxa yokuphazanyiswa ukulimala, ubuyile nakulo nyaka kodwa akangalibona elidlalayo ephuma endaweni ka-50 ngesikhathi esingu-6:02:29.
Ugijima iComrades nje ubethathe isinqumo sokungayigijimi i-Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon yebanga lika-56km ngo-Ephreli, ekubeni wayengene isine emjahweni waseKapa ngesikhathi esiwu-3:11:17.
Akagijimanga nakwiPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yebanga lika-52km, lapho alala isibili nyakenye ngesikhathi esiwu-2:57:02, ehlezi ezithendeni uNtsindiso Mphakathi owashaya intambo ngo-2:56:57.
“IComrades ingifundisile ngokubaluleka kokuzilungiselela ngokwanele ngaphambi kokuyigijima ngoba ayiwona neze umjaho olula, iyavovana.
“Ngikhempe amasonto amathathu ngaphambi kokuyoyigijima iComrades, ngakho ngonyaka ozayo ngizokwenza okusemandleni ukuthi ngikhempe okungenani amasonto ayisithupha ukuze ngizilungiselele ngokwanele,” kusho uMthalane, ongaphansi kweHollywood Athletics Club.
“Nokho, engizisola ngakho kakhulu ekulungiseleleni kwami iComrades, wukuyeka kwami ukugijima eminye yemijaho enjengeTwo Oceans nePrince Mangosuthu, okuyimijaho engenze kahle kuyona ngonyaka odlule.
“Ngikubonile ukubaluleka kokugijima omunye wemijaho enjengalena ngaphambi kokuyogijima iComrades ngenhloso yokufika kuyona usufithi ngokwanele.
Ngiyacabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe ukuba ngayigijima iTwo Oceans ngo-Ephreli ngangizokwenza kangcono kwiComrades, kodwa ngakhetha ukuzonga ngithi ngizongela yona (iComrades), yavele yangivova.”
KwiComrades yakulo nyaka enqotshwe wuPiet Wiersma waseNetherlands (kwabesilisa), insephe esimnkantshubomvu uBongumusa Mthembu we-Arthur Ford Athletics Club, yiyona evale ihlazo kubagijimi baKwaZulu-Natal ilala isithupha. UNkosikhona Mhlakwana weHollywood Club uqede endaweni ka-19.
“Okubalulekile ekugijimeni wukuthi ukwazi ukululama ngemuva komjaho osuke uqeda ukuwugijima, ngaphambi kokugijima omunye njengoba enza uGerda Steyn ogijime iTwo Oceans wayiwina ngaphambi kokuyogijima iComrades.
Ngakho ngonyaka ozayo ngizoshintsha ukwenza, ngigijime iTwo Oceans, nayo futhi iPrince Mangosuthu ngiyigijime uma umzimba ululeme kahle ngaphambi kokuyogijima iComrades engisenephupho elikhulu ngayo.”
Uthe uzogijima kwiMkhambathini Half Marathon ebangeni lika-21.1km ngo-Okthoba, ngaphambi kokuyoyibamba kwi-African Bank Soweto Marathon yebanga lika-42km.