Umgijimi waKwaZulu-Natal okhombisa ukudlondlobala uthe uzoyizila eminye imijaho yakulo nyaka agxile ngokuphelele ekulungiseleleni ukuyibamba kwiComrades Marathon yodumo yebanga lika-87km.
UMsawenkosi Mthalane waphuma isibili kwiPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yebanga lika-52km ngo-Ephreli nyakenye ngesikhathi esingu-2:57:02, ehlezi ezithendeni uNtsindiso Mphakathi owashaya intambo ngo-2:56:29:57.
Uphuma isibili nje kwakusaphele amasonto ambalwa elale isine kwiTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon, eKapa, eyanqotshwa wuGivemore Mudzinganyama waseZimbabwe.
UMthalane (29), obeqeqeshwa yinkakha yezokugijima, uWillie Mtolo ngaphansi kwe-Entsika Athletics Cub, kulo nyaka uzobe egijima kwiHollywoodbets Athletic Club asanda kuyijoyina.
Uthe yize kungabanga yisinqumo esilula ukushiya i-Entsika, ajoyine iHollywoodbets kodwa akazisoli ngesinqumo sakhe asithatha njengegxathu eliya phambili ekukhuleni kwezokugijima emabangeni amade.
“Ekuqaleni kwami ukugijima ngisafunda uGrade 12 eNsika Secondary, eSweetwaters, ngangingazitsheli ukuthi ngelinye ilanga ngingagcina sengigijima emijahweni ekhokha imali yize lona ikhono ngangibona ukuthi likhona kimina.
Kwathi ngo-2010 ngemuva kokuphothula kwami uGrade 12, ngabe sengijoyina Ingwenya SAPS Athletic Club, ngagijima i-marathon yami yokuqala ngo-2015, uMngeni Water Marathon,” kusho uMthalane.
Ngemuva kokugxila emabangeni amafushane - okungu-10km no-21km - ngo-2020 wabe esebuyela emabangeni amade, nokuyilapho abe esejoyina khona i-Entsika Athletic Club ngaphansi kukaMtolo.
“Ubaba uMtolo ngomunye wabagijimi ebengibabuka ngisakhula futhi oyiqhawe labagijimi abaningi kule ndawo yangakithi njengoba engowakhona.
Ngakho ukuqeqeshwa nguye kungifundise okuningi njengoba sengikuleli zinga engikulona njengamanje, engikuthatha njengesiqalo sezinto ezinkulu engisafisa ukuzifeza kulo mdlalo wokugijima.”
Phezu kokwenza kahle kwiPrince Mangosuthu nakwiTwo Oceans nyakenye, kodwa uMthalane, uthathe isinqumo sokuthi angalibambi iqhaza kuyona yomibili le miqhudelwano kulo nyaka ukuze agxile ngokuphelele ekulungiseleleni ukugijima iComrades.
“I-Two Oceans ngiyigijime okokuqala ngo-2022 ngathatha indawo yesishiyagalolunye, nyakenye ngathatha isine. Kwathi kwiPrince Mangosuthu engiyigijime okokuqala ngo-2022 ngathatha isine, kwathi ngonyaka odlule ngathatha isibili.
Lokho bekuyindlela yokuzikala nokuzilungiselela umjaho omkhulu webanga elide, iComrades Marathon okungumjaho okukade ngangifisa ukuwugijima kusukela ebuncaneni bami.
Ngo-2022 ngayingenela iComrades ngangayiqeda ngenxa yokuphazanyiswa ukulimala. Nyakenye ngizwe amanzi ngobhoko ngokuthi ngigijime uhhafu webanga, ngingayiqedi. Ngakho-ke kulo nyaka ngizimisele kakhulu ngokuyigijima okwangempela iComrades, yingakho ngizibophezele ekutheni ngingayigijimi le eminye imijaho, ukuze ngigxile ngokuphelele ekuzicijeleni iComrades.
Le mijaho ilandelana eduze kakhulu, idinga amandla. Kodwa ngisazobheka omunye umjaho engizowugijima phakathi kukaFebhuwari noMashi ukulingiselela iComrades.”
KwiHollywoodbets Athletics Club, uMthalane ujoyina uNkosinathi Mhlakwana nezinye izinsephe zabagijimi asebeyingxenye yale kilabhu ekhombisa ukukhula ngesikhulu isivinini ngokuheha izinkalimeva zabagijimi.