UMGIJIMI osengumakadebona kwiComrades Marathon, uBongumusa Mthembu, uthe ukungaphumeleli kwakhe emijahweni emibili edlule yeComrades akumdikibalisanga njengoba nowakulo nyaka ebuye ngezinkani ukuzoyibamba ishisa.
UMthembu (40) we-Arthur Ford Running Club, ubalwa nabagijimi ababhekiwe kwiComrades yebanga lika-85.9km ezosuka ngo-5.30 ekuseni eCity Hall, eThekwini, yenyukele eScottsville Racecourse, eMgungundlovu.
Lo mgijimi odabuka eBulwer, usewunqobe amahlandla amathathu lo mjaho wodumo. Waqala ukuwunqoba ngo-2014 kwehliwa, ngo-2017 kwenyukwa, nango-2018 kwehliwa.
Ngo-2019 walala isibili ngemuva kuka-Edward Mothibi owadla umhlanganiso kwenyukwa kodwa ngo-2022 wahlehlela endaweni yesine. Nyakenye uhlehlele endaweni ka-16 okuyindawo okwakungabhekiwe neze ukuthi le nsephe yomgijimi ingaqeda kuyona.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi ngifundile emaphutheni engiwenzile emijahweni edlule futhi akufanele ngisole muntu ngalokho. Ngicabanga ukuthi ngizilungiselele ngendlela efanele futhi sengiwulungele ngokuphelele umjaho. Ukuzikhandla kwami ngiziqeqesha kusukela ngoDisemba, kwaziwa yimina nalabo engiziqeqesha nabo.
Ngakho-ke imiphumela yokuzikhandla nokuziqeqesha kwami seyiyobonakala ngalo iSonto (kusasa),” kusho uMthembu, obekhuluma esithangamini nabezindaba eSouthern Sun Hotel, eThekwini, izolo.
“Njengomgijimi kufanele uma izinto zingahambanga ngendlela obufisa ngayo, wamukele, bese wenza okusemandleni ukulungisa amaphutha ukuze wenze kangcono emjahweni olandelayo.”
Ngemuva kokungagijinywa kwalo mjaho ngo-2020 nango-2021 ngenxa yokudlanga kweCovid-19, ubuyele emgwaqweni ngo-2022 nango-2023 wanqotshwa wuTete Dijana weNedbank Running Club.
UDijana osenqobe lo mjaho iminyaka emibili ilandelana, uyayivuma ingcindezi emjahweni wakulo nyaka.
“Ingcindezi yinto eyohlale ikhona, futhi umjaho wakulo nyaka ubukeka uzoba ngonzima kodwa ngizimisele ukwenza kahle nakowakulo nyaka.
“Ngiyakuqonda ukuthi owakulo nyaka uyenyuka kodwa umehluko awukho kangako ngoba kusengumjaho owodwa iComrades Marathon, le ebengiyigijima ngo-2022 nango-2023.”
UMothibi, okunguyena owagcina ukunqoba iComrades kwenyukwa ngo-2019, uthe: “Kusho lukhulu kimina ukuba yingxenye yalo mjaho onyukayo engagcina ngiwunqobile eminyakeni emihlanu edlule. Ngizimisele ukuyibamba ishisa nozakwethu beNedbank Club nasemjahweni wakulo nyaka,” kusho uMothibi olale isithathu emjahweni wanyakenye.
Ngaphandle kukaDijana, uMothibi noMthembu, abanye abagijimi ababhekiwe uNkosikhona Mhlakwana weHollywoodbets Athletics Club, uDan Matshailwe weNedbank, uTeboho Sello noPiet Wiersma weNedbank Club.
Lo mgijimi odabuka eNertherlands, wamangaza abaningi nyakenye elala isibili ewugijima okokuqala lo mjaho.