UMGIJIMI osenqobe iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon amahlandla amabili, uNtsindiso Mphakathi, ufunga uyagomela ukuthi uyogcina ewunqobile umjaho iSoweto Marathon, aseyizame kaningana kepha kungavumi.
UMphakathi (33), oqale ngo-2013 ukugijima koweSoweto Marathon, nyakenye uphume endaweni yesihlanu kulo mjaho onqotshwe nguDaba Ifa Debele, wase-Ethiopia.
Ngaphambi kwalokho uMphakathi ngo-2017 waphuma isithathu, kwathi ngo-2019 wahlehla waphuma endaweni yesishiyagalombili, njengoba nyakenye ephume isihlanu.
I-Soweto Marathon, esukela eFNB Stadium, izungeze ilokishi laseSoweto iphelele khona futhi eFNB, ikhuza ibuya ngoNovemba 5.
Empeleni kulo mjaho webanga lika-42.2km, kusakhonye abagijimi bangaphandle iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili kulandelana kusukela igcina ukunqotshwa ngumgijimi wakuleli lengabade, uMichael Mazibuko ngo-2011.
“Kusukela ngo-2013 ngiqala ukugijima iSoweto Marathon ngilokhu ngilwa ngingawunqobi lo mjaho kodwa ngisasho namanje ngiyogcina ngiwunqobile.
“Ukuphuma kwami endaweni yesithathu ngo-2013 neyesihlanu ngonyaka odlule u-2022, yikho okungikhuthaza kakhulu nokunginika ithemba lokuthi ngiyogcina ngiwunqobile lo mjaho uma ngiqhubeka nje, ngisebenza kanzima,” kusho uMphakathi ongaphansi kwe-Entsika Athletics Club.
“Sengivele ngiwaqalile amalungiselelo eSoweto Marathon. Emuva nje, kokubuya ekugijimeni iComrades Marathon, ebengiqala ukuyigijima nengingenzanga kahle kuyo, ngizitshelile ukuthi ngizophumula kancane bese ngiqala ukugxila ekulungiseleleni iSoweto Marathon,” kuchaza uMphakathi, ngezinhlelo zakhe.
Lo mgijimi odabuka ePort St Johns, Eastern Cape, kodwa osezinze eDube, eSoweto, unqobe iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon, okokuqala nyakenye waphinda wayinqoba nakulo nyaka ngoMashi.
Udalule ukuthi kuyamphoqa ukwenza amalungiselelo eSoweto Marathon kude nemigwaqo yaseSoweto, ukugwema ukulimala ngenxa yesiminyaminya emigwaqweni yelokishi.
“Ngizinze khona impela eSoweto, kodwa ngizithola sengiziqeqesha ngaphandle kwelokishi, ezindaweni ezingamapulazi ukugwema isiminyaminya esikhona emigwaqweni yaseSoweto.
Ungazithola usulimala uma uziqeqesha kule migwaqo yaseSoweto, ngenxa yesiminyaminya sezimoto, ikakhulu amatekisi, okuyingakho isikhathi esiningi ngiziqeqesha ezindaweni ezingaphandle kweSoweto, ukugwema ukulimala engingase ngikuthole.”
Nyakenye kukhonye abagijimi base-Ethiopia, kulo mjaho waseSoweto. Ngu-Ifa Debele, odle umhlanganiso kwabesilisa elandelwa ngumkhaya wakhe, uGadisa Bekele endaweni yesibili, isithathu kwaba nguTseo Ramashomole waseLesotho, uMphakathi waba ngowokuqala kubagijimi baseMzansi ukungena endaweni yesihlanu.