UMGIJIMI wamabanga amade, uSiboniso Sikhakhane, ukhethe ukumisa eminye imisebenzi yakhe aziphilisa ngayo ukuze agxile ngokuphelele ekuziqeqesheni ukulungiselela umjaho i-Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon yebanga lika-56km athathe indawo yesibili kuwona ngoMgqibelo, eKapa.
USikhakhane (34) we-Entsika Athletics Club obeseyigijima okwesine i-Two Oceans, uphume endaweni yesibili ngesikhathi esingu-3:11:17 elandela uKhoarahlane Seutloali waseLesotho, odle umhlanganiso ngesikhathi esingu-3:10:46. Endaweni yesithathu kungene uLucky Mohale ngesikhathi esingu-3:11:26.
Kwabesifazane kuwine uGerda Steyn ngesikhathi esingu-3:29:10, isibili kwaba nguShelmith Muriuki waseKenya, ngesikhathi esingu-3:37:50. Endaweni yesithathu kwaba nguNehenge Katala waseLesotho, ngesikhathi esingu-3:40:38.
USikhakhane oqeqeshwa nguHendrick Ramaala we-Entsika Athetics Club eGoli, ukhanda amakhabethe abuye enze nomsebenzi wokufaka amapayipi (plumbing) owenza ehlala ehla enyuka phakathi kweNewcastle neGoli.
“Njengomuntu oziphilisa ngomsebenzi wezandla, ngiyaye ngikuthole kunzima kwesinye isikhathi ukusebenza nokuziqeqesha. Yingakho ngihlale phansi ngabona kufanele ngiwamise kancane amanye ama-oda omsebenzi wami, ngigxile ngokuphelele ekuziqeqesheni.
"Imiphumela yalokho ngiyayibona futhi ngijabule ngayo njengoba ngikwazile ukuthatha indawo yesibili, yize isifiso sami kusewukuwunqoba lo mjaho weTwo Oceans,” kusho uSikhakhane odabuka eMadadeni, eNewcastle.
Ngo-2022 eqala ukugijima lo mjaho, wathatha isithathu. Esebuya ngo-2023, akenzanga kahle njengoba eqede endaweni ka-15. Kube ngesifanayo nanyakenye ethatha indawo ka-13.
“Kungikhuthazile kakhulu ukuthatha isibili kwiTwo Oceans yakulo nyaka, kunginika ithemba elikhulu lokuthi akusekude ngiwunqobe lo mjaho ngoba sengiwuqonda kangcono.
"Isifiso sami esikhulu wukuthi ngigcine ngiwunqobile futhi ngonyaka ozayo ngikholwa wukuthi kuzokwenzeka,” kuqhuba uSikhakhane ogoduke no-R125 000.
Njengoba i-Two Oceans isetshenziswa ngabanye abagijimi ukuzicijela iComrades Marathon, uSikhakhane uthe basazohlala phansi noRamaala, banqume ngeComrades yanonyaka.
Nokho ukubeke kwacaca ukuthi nakanjani uzoyigijima iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yebanga lika-52km ezosuka eNquthu iphele eDundee ngo-Ephreli 27.