Online Reporter
UMQEQETSHI wabagijimayo lomhlaziyi wezokugijima, uXolani Mabhida, ubona iComrades Marathon yalonyaka ingahle ibe lezimanga ezingatshiya inengi labathandi bezokugijima bekhexe imilomo.
IComrades yalonyaka yebanga le-89,98km izagijinywa kusehlwa kusukwa eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini, ngeSonto.
Ukukhonya kwabagijimi abangaphansi kweNedbank Running Club eminyakeni emine edlule, okubalwa kubo u-Edward Mothibi, Tete Dijana loPiet Wiersma kwabesilisa loGerda Steyn weHollywood Running Club kwabesifazane, kwenza kubhekwe ngabomvu emjahweni wakulonyaka ukuthi kuzaqhubeka yini ukukhonya kwalaba bagijimi.
UWiersma oweNertherlands owaqeda engowesibili ngo-2023 eqala ukugijima lumjaho, nyakenye udle umhlanganiso kwenyukwa ngesikhathi esingu-5:25:00, kwathi uSteyn wadla umhlanganiso kwabesifazane okwehlandla lesibili iminyaka ilandelana ngo-5:49:46.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, bekukhonye uDijana iminyaka ilandelana ngo-2022 lango-2023. Umgijimi lo odabuka eMahikeng, eNorth West, okwakhathesi nguye ophethe irekhodi lokwehla ele-5:13:58 aliqophe ngo-2023, esephula ele-5:18:19 elaliqotshwe nguDavid Gatebe ngo-2016.
Ngokunjalo loSteyn osenqobe lumjaho amahlandla amathathu, uphethe elokwehla ele-5:44:54 aliqophe ngo-2023, esephula ele-5:54:43 elaliqotshwe nguFrith van der Merwe ngo-1989.
“IComrades ngumjaho onzima, okungelula ukuwuqagela njengoba uhlezi umangaza ngaso sonke isikhathi. Lakulumnyaka ngibona uzamangaza futhi, kuqhamuke abagijimi ebesingabalindelanga ukuthi banqobe.
“Ngibona abagijimi beNedbank Running Club, u-Arthur Ford AC labeMaxed Elite bezakwenza kahle lasemjahweni wakulumnyaka,” kutsho uMabhida.
Uqhubeke wathi: “Ngokwami umgijimi onjengoBongumusa, phezu kweminyaka yakhe yobudala, ngimbona engahle amangaze ngenxa yesipiliyoni sakhe aselaso ngalumjaho.
“Umgijimi onjengaye angahle athatheke kancane kodwa nxa ethole lelothuba elincane lokukhululeka angenza ezibukwayo ngenxa yokuthi usewuqonda kangcono lumjaho lomzila wawo, lamaqhinga okunqoba umjaho waloluhlobo.”
UMthembu (41) useyinqobe amahlandla amabili iComrades; ngo-2017 lango-2018, ngo-2019 waqeda ekunombolo yesibili kuMothibi.
Ngo-2022 ulale kweyesine, wahlehla ngo-2023 ephuma endaweni yesi-16, njengoba ebuye nyakenye walala isithupha.
Kwabesifazane, uMabhida ubona uSteyn ezathola inselelo ku-Irvette van Zyl, uNobukhosi Tshuma weZimbabwe loJenet Mbhele wakuleli.
“UGerda loba eseyazi kangcono kakhulu iComrades kodwa angahle ayithole inselelo kulumnyaka ku-Irvette, uNobukhosi loJenet. Kodwa u-Irvette loNobukhosi yibo engibabona bezamthwalisa kanzima kakhulu emjahweni wakulumyaka.”- Ubulembu
