UHLABEKE umxhwele ngokuthi ukwazile ukunqoba iComrades Marathon yize kudingeke ukuthi alwele ilungelo lakhe lokugijima enkantolo umgijimi waseRussia, u-Alexandra Morozova.
UMorozova (32) ube ngowokuqala wesifazane ukufika entanjeni eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eqeda lo mjaho owu-89km ngo-6:17.48.
Ucishe wayizwa ngendaba iComrades yalo nyaka ebisuka eMgungundlovu. Abahleli bayo bamtshele (ngoLwesine) ukuthi ngeke avunyelwe ukugijima ngenxa yomyalelo wenhlangano engamele ezokusubatha emhlabeni emhlabeni, iWorld Athletics, othi abasubathi baseRussia kumele bashiywe ngaphandle ngenxa yokuthi izwe labo lisaqhubeka nokulwa ne-Ukraine.
Lo mgijimi uludlulisele eNkantolo eNkulu yaseMgungundlovu lolu daba, okuthe ngoMgqibelo yakhipha isinqumo esimvunayo.
"Ngijabule kakhulu ngomphumela nangendlela engigijime ngayo. Ngiyaxolisa ngokufikelwa umunyu nokungakwazi ukwenaba kabanzi," kusho uMorozova ekhulunyelwa ngutolika wakhe ngemuva komjaho.
“Bengingaqondile ukudala izinkinga kodwa bengiwulungiselele kakhulu lo mjaho futhi bengifisa ukugijima. Ngiyajabula ukuthi phezu kobunzima ngikwazile ukugxila ekugijimeni.
"Ngiyabonga kakhulu ngokwesekwa engikuthole kubantu abebegcwele emgwaqeni nakulaba abebesenkundleni sengibheke entanjeni. Kunginike amandla amakhulu."
Indawo yesibili ithathwe nguDominika Stelmach wasePoland, kwathi u-Adele Broodryk waseNingizimu Afrika waphuma isithathu.
"Ngazithembisa ukuthi ngizoyigijima iComrades Marathon ngize ngiyinqobe ngakho akukho okunye engingakwenza ngaphandle kokuthi ngibuye ngonyaka ozayo. Ngincamela ukugijima enyukayo, kube nzinyana ukwehla kimina," kusho uStelmach.
"Ngiwujabulele umjaho futhi nabalandeli banginike umfutho yize amakhilomitha okugcina ayishumi ebe nzima. Isimo sezulu besisihle futhi ngikubheke ngabomvu ukubuya ngonyaka ozayo,“ kuqhuba le ntokazi ebibuye iyeke ukugijima, ihambe ezindaweni ezinyukelayo sebengenile eThekwini, sekubhekwe eMabhida.
UBroodryk, obeqala ukugijima futhi oke wahamba phambili kusaqalwa, uthe: “Ngijabule kakhulu ngalo mjaho. Ngingomunye wabantu abaqala ukubukela iComrades Marathon besebancane futhi bekuyiphupho lami ukugijima lo mjaho ngelinye ilanga. Ngizizwe nginamandla kakhulu ngesikhathi ngisendleleni. Bengivele ngibe nonyaka omuhle nokwenze ukuthi likhuphuke izinga lokuzethemba ngesikhathi ngiza kulo mjaho. Ukubamba iqhaza nokuqeda endaweni yesithathu kufana nephupho. Ngizobheka amaphutha amancane engiwenzile bese ngiyawalungisa. Sengicabanga umjaho wangonyaka ozayo."
UGerda Steyn nguyena owesifazane wakuleli ogcine ukuwina iComrades Marathon ngesikhathi eyinqoba ngo-2019. Ubengekho kulokhu njengoba eya kwiNew York Marathon engoNovemba 6.
Uhla lwabesifazane abayishumi abaphume phambili:
1. Alexandra Morozova 06:17.48, 2. Dominika Stelmach 06:25.09, 3. Adele Broodryk 06:26.35, 4. Jenna Challenor 06:42.14, 5. Galaletsang Mekgoe 06:42.53, 6. Camille Herron 6:44.29, 7. Helena Joubert 06:55.23, 8. Janine Grundlink 06:59.44, 9. Annerie Wooding 06:59.55, 10. Yolande Maclean 07:00.19