KUZOPHINDA kuvuke “ubutha” phakathi kwezinsephe zabagijimi eziseqenjini elilodwa, uStephen Mokoka noPrecious Mashele emjahweni i-Absa Run Your City Durban 10 km ozogijinywa eThekwini.
UMokoka (38) noMashele (32), bobabili abangaphansi kwekilabhu eyodwa, iBoxer Athletics Club, bazophinde badlane imilala kulo mjaho kazwelonke onedumela.
UMashele uhlale ekuveza kwabezindaba ukuthi ufunda lukhulu “kubhuti wakhe”omdala uMokoka, osemnkantshubomvu kwezokugijima, kodwa futhi uma sebebhekene enkundleni yezokusubatha bakubeka eceleni ukuzwana nokuba sekilabhini eyodwa.
Nakusasa kwiRun Your City Marathon kulindeleke ukuba lezi zinsephe ziqhuthane amakhizane, zigabiselane ngezithende.
Phela uMashele wephule irekhodi laseNingizimu Afrika lika-10km ebeliphethwe nguMokoka kwi-Absa RUN Your City Ggqeberha 10K ngo-Ephreli eGqeberha, e-Eastern Cape.
“Ngiyazazi ukuthi ngiyashesha. Ngagijima kahle eGqeberha ngo-Ephreli, futhi ngiyazi ukuthi ngingenza okungcono kakhulu nalapha eThekwini. Ngifuna ukulephula futhi irekhodi.
“Ngemva kokuphuma isithathu kwiNelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon lapho engenza khona isikhathi esingu-60:50, ngatshela umqeqeshi wami ukuthi u-10km usumfishane kakhulu kimi.
Lokhu uthe kuzomele ngikukhombise eThekwini kwi-Absa Run Your City,” kusho uMashele.
UMokoka naye oqophe irekhodi lomhlaba lika-50km kwiNedbank Runified, eGqeberha ngoMashi wanyakenye, uthi uzimisele ngokuwunqoba lo mjaho.
“Yona iminyaka isiqala ukuhamba lapha kimi, kodwa ngizimisele ngokwenza kahle kwi-Absa Run Your City yakulo nyaka lapha eThekwini,” kusho uMokoka, oseyinkunzi emidwayidwa.
Abanye ababhekiwe kwabesilisa wuMarc Scott wase-United Kingdom no-Asbel Kiprop Rutto waseKenya
Kwabesifazane, uGlenrose Xaba ongomunye wabasubathi baseNingizimu Afrika ababhekiwe ubeke kanje: “Ngizimisele ngokwenza kangcono kakhulu kulo mjaho, ikakhulukazi njengoba ngizobe ngiqhudelana nomgijimi onjengoYalemzerf Yehualawaw.
“Lokho nje kukodwa kuyangikhuthaza ekulwelen ukulijaha irekhodi lika-10km,” kusho uXaba.
UXaba uya kulo mjaho nje, usemdlandleni kwazise ngeledlule uphume isithathu eshaya isikhathi esingu-31:55 kwiSPAR Grand Prix ebiseThekwini.
Abanye abesifazane ababhekiwe wuStella Cheseng wase-Uganda noNeheng Khatala waseLesotho.