UMAKADEBONA kwezokugijima nomhleli wemijaho uCeli Makhoba, uthi ubona umgijimi waKwaZulu-Natal uNkosikhona “Pitbull” Mhlakwana, esethubeni lokwenza ezibukwayo emjahweni i-TotalSports Two Oceans Marathon, eKapa ngoMgqibelo ekuseni.
Umunxa we-Ultra Marathon webanga lika-56km ubhekwe kakhulu namuhla ekuseni, kuthi oweHalf Marathon webanga lika-21.1km ube kusasa ekuseni. Yonke imijaho izosakazwa bukhoma kwiSupersport.
Wamangaza abaningi uMhlakwana nyakenye koweTwo Oceans, lapho wayegijima okokuqala kulo mjaho, waphuma isibili elandela u-Edndale Belachew wase-Ethiopia, owadla umhlanganiso.
Lo mgijimi waseHowick, ongaphansi kweHollywoodbets Athetics Club, washaya isikhathi esingu-03:09:08, esezithendeni zikaBelachew owashaya u-03:09:05.
“UMhlakwana unobuhlakani, usevuthwe kakhulu emqondweni kwezokugijima. Ngakho ngimbona ezokwenza into yamehlo kulo mjaho weTwo Oceans uma engaphazimisekanga,” kuchaza uMakhoba.
“Kanti noSboniso Sikhakhane, ungomunye wabagijimi ongeke wabashiya ngaphandle nangephutha. Ngithanda indlela azihlela ngayo, akagijimi noma yimiphi imijaho eqhamukayo. Uyayazi imijaho okufanele ayigijime, ngakho ungomunye wabagijimi abangase benze kahle kulo mjaho, noma engangawina kodwa ngimbona eshaya isikhathi esihle,” kuqhuba uMakhoba.
USikhakhane waseNewcastle, ongaphansi kwePhantane Athletcis Club, wayegijima okokuqala emjahweni nyakenye, wamangaza abaningi elala isithathu eshaya isikhathi esingu-03:11:31.
Phakathi kwabagijimi abangase baqhamuke bengabhekwe muntu badunge umcimbi, uMakhoba ubona uLungile Gqoba weNedbank Running Club yaseKapa, noMike Fokoroni weNedbank Running Club yaseZimbabwe.
Emjahweni wanyakenye uGqoba walala endaweni ka-22, kwathi uFokoroni owanqoba lo mjaho ngo-2016, waphuma endaweni ka-29.
Ebuzwa ngerekhodi leminyaka lensephe engasekho uThompson Magawana lika-03:03:44, elaqoshwa ngo-1988 nelisamile namanje, uMakhoba uthe azisafani izindlela zokugijima zamanje nezakudala.
“Nakuba sesiside impela isikhathi leli rekhodi likaMagawana lingaphulwa muntu kodwa engicabanga ukuthi kufanele sikuqaphele wukuthi izindlela zokugijima zanamhlanje nezakudala kazisafani.
“Kuqala abagijimi babengahlolwa ukuthi kukhona yini abakusebenzisile okuyizikhuthazi emizimbeni yabo. Kanti abagajimi bamanje sebeyahlolwa nokubenza baqambe begijima bebe sebazi ukuthi bazohlolwa emuva komjaho, nokubenza bagijime ngamandla abo emvelo kuphela.”
UBongumusa Mthembu weMaxed Elite, omnkantshubomvu emijahweni yamabanga amade, ngeke abe yingxenye yabasubathi nonyaka koweTwo Oceans, phezu kokuba ephuma isine kulo mjaho nyakenye kanti kowango-2019 wadla umhlanganiso.
Kwabesifazane kubhekwe insephe uGerda Steyn, osanda kujoyina iPhantane AC yaseKZN, nokulindeleke ukuba avikele isicoco sakhe seTwo Oceans asinqobe nyakenye, ikakhulu njengoba imbangi yakhe u-Irvette van Zyl, ihoxile ngenxa yokulimala.
Ingqwele yebanga lika-56km izohlomula ngo-R250 000 ngokuhlukana kobulili, kuthi ingqwele yebanga lika-21km ihlomule ngoR25 000.