INSEPHE yomgijimi wamabanga amade yaKwaZulu-Natal (KZN), uBongmusa Mthemba, ithi kuningi kakhulu abangakuzuza bengabasubathi bakulesi sifundazwe uma bengabambisana njengoba kuza iComrades Marathon.
Le nyamazane edabuka eBulwer, izoba ngomunye wabazogijima lo mjaho ongu-87km ngoJuni 11, ozosuka eCity Hall, eMgungundlovu ngo-5.30 ekuseni, uphelele eKingsmead Cricket Stadium, eThekwini.
Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi nyakenye ngenxa yokuphazamisa kweCivid-19, lo mjaho ugijinywe ngo-Agasti njengoba manje usubuyele esikhathini sonyaka sawo esijwayelekile.
Ubuyele kuJuni ngemuva kokukhononda kwabagijimi ngokushisa nangezinye izinto.
UMthembu akaconsi phansi kumabanga amade njengoba iComrades eseyinqobe kathathu. Ube yingqwele yayo ngo-2014 (5:28.29) nango-2018 (5:26.34) kwehliwa. Wayinqoba futhi nango-2017 (5:35.34) kunyukwa.
Lo mgijimi uzwakalise ukukhathazeka ngendlela abasubathi baKwaZulu-Natal abangabambisene ngayo. Uqhube wathi ukholelwa ekutheni banganqoba yonke into uma kungaphela amakhempu athe adla lubi.
"Wonke umgijimi kulesi sifundazwe uzenzela okwakhe. Kusamele kusetshenzwe kanzima ukuqeda lokhu. Kumele sifunde kubagijimi baseKenya. Babambisene ngakho konke.
“UKipchoge (Eliud) nezinye izingwazi zakhona bagijima ngamaqoqo, abamonelani. Abantu abazosiphatha kumele babe nothando lokugijima baphinde babe neziqu ezaziwa yi-ASA ( Athletics South Africa) neWorld Athletics.
“Asingakuvumi ukuphathwa ngabantu ngoba bekwazi ukukhuluma nje kuphela. Kumele bazi imithetho. Mhlawumbe kuzosisiza nokuthi silande izinkakha zalo mdlalo.
“Uma uzoqaphela izinhlobo zemidlalo eziphethwe yizinkakha zakhona zenza kahle. Likhulu ikhono KwaZulu-Natal, uma singabambisana singanqoba yonke into," kubeka uMthembu.
Ngaphambi kweTotalsport Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, uThobani Chagwe watshela leli phephandaba ukuthi amalungiselelo alo mjaho naweComrades bawenza noMthembu.
Bobabili badabuka eBulwer. UChagwe wathi bebeziqeqeshela ezintabeni zangakubo, eBulwer, Underberg naseMooi River. UMthembu uthe amalungiselelo eComrades yalo nyaka ahambe kahle kakhulu. Uthe ubezongele yona yingakho engazange agijime imijaho eminingi ngaphambi kwayo.
"Uma ungumgijimi kumele uhleleke, umzimba kumele uwuphumuze ukuze ube sesimeni esihle, kumele nawe uwulekelele.
“Kangizixakanga ngeminye imijaho. Bengizongele iComrades," kuqhuba uMthembu olale isine nyakenye (5:38.07).
Kwabesilisa intambo yashaywa uTete Dijana waseNorth West (5:30.38). Okwagqama ngokunqoba kukaDijana ogijimela abakwaNedbank, wukubambisana emzileni kwakhe nabanye ozakwabo kule kilabhu futhi abanye abangomkhaya.
Kwakubonakala ukuthi kunohlelo lokugqilaza izimbangi njengoba kukhona abagijmi beNedbank abebehamba phambili ngesivinini, kwenzelwa ukugqilaza labo ababanga nabo.
Kwabesimame kwaba u-Alexandra Morozova waseRussia (6:17.18).
UMthembu uthe okumchazayo kule minyaka edlule wukuthi akekho ongasho ukuthi iComrades izonqotshwa ubani.
"Kuhlale kunomgijimi omusha ozoshiya abantu benkemile. Nakulo nyaka ngibona kwenzeka into efanayo. Kuqala bekukhonya abaseRussia. Kwadlula lokho. Kulo nyaka kuza abane baseJapan.
“Kuzoba yiComrades eshubile. Okuhle wukuthi amalungiselelo ami ahambe kahle,“ kusho uMthembu osejwayele ukuba ngowokuqala wase-KZN kwabesilisa, ukuqeda noma enganqobanga.
Umpetha walo nyaka weComrades uzohlomula ngoR500 000 kwabesilisa nabesifazane.