Kulambisa abagijimi ukuminyana kwemincintiswano
ULusapho April ozakhele udumo ephuma indawo yesithathu kwi-New York Marathon ngonyaka odlule ubona ukusondelana kwemijaho ethathwa njengemikhululu eNingizimu Afrika kuyimbangela yokulala kwekati eziko kubasubathi abaningi bakuleli.
U-April uthi kubuhlungu ukuthi iningi labasubathi lithwele kanzima kwezezimali ngenxa yezizathu eziningi ezinye zazo ezingagwemeka. Uveze ukuthi esinye sazo wukusondelana kwemijaho emikhulu kuleli.
Uthi lokhu kudala ukuthi abasubathi bangayigijimi eminye yayo ngoba besapholisa izinhlungu zemisipha. Le mijaho athi isondelene ubale i-Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon egijinyelwa e-Cape Town eba ngoMbasa, Comrades Marathon egijinywa ngoNhlangulana, Gauteng Marathon eba ngoMandulo, Legends Marathon egijinyelwa e-East London, e-Eastern Cape ngoNcwaba neSoweto Marathon egijinywa ngoLwezi.
U-April uthe kulukhuni kakhulu ukuthi umsubathi ogijime i-Comrades aphinde asubathe kwi-Gauteng . Uthe nakuba isiza imijaho ethathwa njengemincane kodwa kayiwenzi umehluko emaphaketheni abasubathi.
I-Comrades ikhokhela umsubathi oshaye intambo kuqala isamba sika-R375 000, Two Oceans ne-Gauteng bakhokha u-R250 000 bese kuthi iSoweto ne-Legends bakhokhe u-R100 000.
“Angiyiphathi-ke eyeSoweto ne-Legends, kusondelene kakhulu. Ngisho lokhu nje, uBongumusa Mthembu ongumpetha we-Comrades Marathon mincane kakhulu imijaho ayigijimile kulena engasekuqaleni nengase kupheleni konyaka. Wazi kahle ukuthi ukube uyigijimile ubengeke ayivikele indondo yakhe kwi-Comrades,” kusho u-April. Nokho lo msubathi ukuvezile ukuthi ngeke vele abasubathi bayigijime yonke le mijaho ngenxa yokuthi unyaka unezinyanga ezili-12 kuphela.
“Okungenani i-Athletics South Africa (ASA) mayisebenzisane nabahleli bale mijaho emikhulu, bahlele izinyanga ngendlela ezovumela abasubathi ukuthi basubathe noma engaphezulu kowodwa ngonyaka,” usho kanje. Lo mgijimi odabuka e-Eastern Cape unxuse osomabhizinisi ukuthi bafake imali nasemijahweni emincane.
Uthe lokhu kungawenza kakhulu umehluko kubasubathi. E-KZN imijaho athi idinga uxhaso iZululand Marathon egijinywa phakathi koLundi noNongoma ekhokhela imoto kophume indawo yokuqala, Ethekwini Township to Township ephakathi koMlazi noMashu eklomelisa ngo-R40 000 kowokuqala. Omunye yiMandela Marathon egijinywa phakathi koMgungundlovu neHowick ekhokhela u-R50 000. Kwezinye izifundazwe yi-Heroes Half Marathon esukela emzini kaMnu Nelson Mandela ongasekho eQunu bese iphelela e-Walter Sisulu Stadium. Nakuba kucinene ngalolu hlobo lo msubathi uthe kubalulekile ukuthi abasubathi bangagijimi noma yimiphi imijaho.
Uthe kumele babe nekhalenda yemijaho abazoyigijima. U-April uphinde watshela leli phephandaba ukuthi ngeke akuthole ukuphumula engayinqobanga i-New York Marathon. Ukhuluma kanjena nje, nyakenye akalibonanga elidlalayo njengoba elale indawo ye-12. Abemakhulu amathemba okuthi uzonqoba kulandela ukulala indawo yesithathu ngonyaka owandulela odlule.
“Isifiso sami wukulandela ezinyathelweni zikaWillie Mtolo owunqobile lo mjaho ngowama-1992 noHandrick Ramaala owuwine ngowe-2004. Ngeke ngiyeke ukuwugijima kuze kube kufezeka iphupho lami,” kubeka u-April. Khonamanjalo, uDelaine Cools wezokuXhumana kwi-Comrades Marathon uthe bayajabula ukuthi sebengaphezu kwe-1000 abasubathi abaqhamuka emazweni ase-Afrika.
Uthi bebenovalo lokuthi sizokwehla isibalo sabo njengoba bekunokushaywa kwabo kuleli. Lo mjaho uzokuba mhla zingama-31 kuNhlaba usukela eThekwini uze uphelele eMgungundluvu. Siyizinkulungwane ezingama-25 isibalo sabasubathi abalindeleke kulo mjaho.