Kusukwa kude ne-Comrades Marathon yezimanga
NAKUBA kuncomeka ukuthi kwabesilisa sekuphele iminyaka emithathu ilandelana kunqoba abasubathi baseNingizimu Afrika kwiComrades Marathon kodwa uma kukhulunywa nezingwevu zalo mdlalo zithi akukapheleli njengoba irekhodi elibalulekile lisagcinwe eRussia.
Okubuye kuhlikihle usawoti esilondeni wukuthi ngeSonto irekhodi iNingizimu Afrika esele nalo kulo mjaho kungenzeka liphinde liphulwe khona eRussia. IComrades Marathon izobe igijinywa ihlandla lama-90 kusukela yasungulwa ngu-Vic Clapham ngowama-1921. Yasungulwa ngenhloso yokuhlonipha amasosha asala empini yokuqala yomhlaba.
NgeSonto isibhamu esizoqalisa lo mjaho ngokusemthethweni sizoqhuma ngehora lesihlanu, usukela eThekwini ulibhekise eMgungundlovu. Njengoba zinyuka nje abasubathi bazogijima u-87 wamakhilomitha. Izindawo ezikhuphukelayo ezibizwa nge-The Big Five, okuyizona eziyimbangela yokuba nzima kwalo mjaho uma unyukela ubheke eMgungundlovu yi-Cowies Hill, Field’s Hill, Botha’s Hill, Inchanga, nePolly Shortts. Ziya kulo mjaho nje, okuduma ekhanda labasubathi wukuphula irekhodi lika-Leonid Shvetsov waseRussia alenze ngesikhathi esingu-5:24:49 ngowezi-2008 enyuka elibhekise eThawini.
Kwabesifazane kumele kuphulwe elika-Elena Nurgalieva wakhona kwelase-Russia lika-6:09:23 alenze ngowezi-2006 enyuka. Irekhodi lalo mjaho elehlayo lesikhathi esingu-5:20:49 liphethwe yiyo futhi le nsizwa yakwaShvetsov kanti kuyajabulisa ukuthi kwabesifazane liphethwe ngu-Frith van der Merwe wakuleli. Ulenze ngowama-1989. Nyakenye uBongumusa Mthembu odabuka eBulwer, KwaZulu-Natal uhluleke wancama ukuphula leli rekhodi njengoba enze isikhathi esingu-5:28:34 kwehliwa.
Uhluleka nje, ulandela ozakwabo bakuleli uClaude Moshiywa onqobe ngowezi-2013 enza esingu-5:32:09 kunyukwa noLudwick Mamabolo onqobe ngowezi-2012 enza esingu-5:31:03 kwehliwa. Kwabesimame nyakenye intambo ishaywe ngu-Eleanor Greenwood waseNgilandi enza u-6:18:15.
NgeSonto kungenzeka ukuthi u-Elena aphule irekhodi likaBruce Fordyce wakuleli lokunqoba iComrades Marathon amahlandla ayisi-9. U-Elena usenqobe imijaho eyisi-8. Ozihola phambili ngokunqoba izindondo eziningi nguDave Rogers osewine ezingama-45.
UDelaine Cools wezokuXhumana kwi-Comrades Marathon utshele iBAYEDE ukuthi inhlangano yabo seyikhiphe isamba sika-1.5 million kozophula irekhodi likaShvetsov nelika-Elena. Umsubathi ozoshaya intambo kulo mjaho uzokhala emuke no-R375 000. UDelaine uveze nokuthi uma kuwumsubathi wakuleli ozoshaya intambo uzoklonyeliswa ngo-R175 000. Udalule nokuthi uMnyango Wezemidlalo ubeke u-R35 000 kumsubathi wakulesi sifundazwe ozofika kuqala entambeni. Lokhu kusho ukuthi uma intambo ingashaywa ngowaKwaZulu-Natal aphinde aphule irekhodi angagoduka nezigidi ezimbili nemfalakahlana. UDelaine uthi bayi-1980 abasubathi abaqhamuka emazweni angaphandle angama-60 abazobonakala ngeSonto. Ziholwa yiNgilandi ngabangama-72 kanti iRussia ilethe amakilabhu amane kulo mjaho.
Kafushane nje ukuze umsubathi abe yingxenye ye-Comrades kumele agijime isikhathi esingaphansi kwamahora amahlanu emijahweni yebanga lama-42.2km egunyazwe yi-Comrades Marathon. Ukuze umsubathi athole indondo kumele angapheli amahora ali-12 engakawuqedi umjaho.
Izindondo okuhlatshanwa ngazo lapha zihlukene kayisi-6. Kusukela kobashaye amakhanda kuya endaweni ye-10 ugoduka neyegolide. Ophume indawo ye-11 engeqanga esikhathini esingamahora ayisi-6 uhlabana ngendondo ebizwa nge-Wally Hayward yesiliva bese iba nendilinga yegolide phakathi nendawo. Le ndondo yaqanjwa ngoba kuhlonishwa u-Wally Haward owanqoba i-Comrades amahlandla amahlanu eminyakeni edlule. Iqale ukutholwa ngowezi-2007.
Owenze isikhathi esiphakathi kwamahora ayisi-6 kuya kwayisi-7 nemizuzu engama-30 uthola eyisiliva bese kuthi kusukela lapha kuya kwayisi-9 athole eyethusi ebizwa nge-Bill Rowan enendilinga eyisiliva phakathi nendawo. Le ndondo iqale ukutholakala ngowe-2000 kuhlonishwa u-Bill Rowan owaba ngumgijimi wokuqala ukunqoba i-Comrades Marathon. Kusukela kumahora ali-11 kuya kwali-12 umgijimi uthola i-Vic Clapham eyi-copper okuhlonishwa ngayo umsunguli walo mjaho. Iqale ukwamukelwa ngowezi-2003.
Okunye ngemiklomelo wukuthi umsubathi ogijime i-Comrades wayiqeda amahlandla ayisi-9 izinombolo zakhe zokusubatha zibhalwa ngombala oqanda bese oqede eli-10 zibe luhlaza. Kuzobe kungaqali-ke ukuthi usubathwe ngomhla zingama-31kuMeyi. Kusukela ngowama-1962 kuya kowama-1994 okungunyaka elakuleli elaqala ngawo ukubuswa ngentando yeningi ubugijinywa ngalo lulo suku olwalubizwa nge-Republic Day. Ngowama-1995 ugijinywe mhla zili-16 kuNhlangulana okuwusuku lwentsha. Ngowezi-2007 i-ANC Youth League ikhalazile yathi ngalolu suku lo mjaho uphazamisa intsha ekukhumbuleni amaqhawe alala. Ube sewuba mhla zili-17 kuNhlangulana ngowezi-2008.
Umlando ukhomba ukuthi ngowama-1923 u-Frances Hayward waba ngumsubathi wokuqala wesifazane ukuba yingxenye ye-Comrades. Kuvela ukuthi wawugijima ngenkani ngemuva kokuthi abahleli bawo bengamnikanga imvume. Ngowama-1962 kwavunyelwa okokuqala ukuthi lo mjaho usubathwe ngabangaphandle kwakuleli.
UJohn Smith wakwelamaNgisi waba ngowokuqala wangaphandle ukunqoba. Ngenxa yengcindezi eyayikhona ngowama-1975 kwavunyelwa abantu abamnyama nabesifazane ukuthi bawusubathe ngokusemthethweni.
Ngalo nyaka u-Elizabeth Cavanaugh waba ngowesifazane wokuqala ukunqoba lo mjaho. Njengoba uhulumeni wobandlululo wayesengene ntshi ekuhlelweni kwalo mjaho kuvela ukuthi u-Bruce Fordyce (okuliwa nerekhodi lakhe lokuwunqoba amahlandla ayisi-9) ngowama-1981 wake wasikazi ukuwuduba lo mjaho ngoba uhulumeni efuna kugujwe ngawo iminyaka engama-20 kwasungulwa i-Republic of South Africa.
Kuthiwa ngalesi sikhathi u-Fordyce wayefunda enyuvesi yase-Witwatersrand. Kuvela ukuthi wawugijima egqoke isidwedwe esimnyama engalweni yesokudla kuwuphawu lokuphikisana nohulumeni wobandlululo.
Ngemuva kweminyaka abampisholo bevunyelwe ukudlala kulo mjaho uSam Tshabalala ngowama-1989 waba ngowokuqala omnyama ukuwunqoba.
Kuyavela nokuthi indaba yokudla izikhuthaza-mzimba yindala njengoba ngowama-1992 uCharl Mattheus waphucwa indondo yegolide ngoba nakhu etholakale nokungavumelekile egazini. Indawo yakhe yokuqala yabe isithathwa nguJetman Msutu owangena emlandweni ngokuba wumsubathi wesibili omnyama ukunqoba i-Comrades Marathon. Abanye abasubathi asebeke kulo mjaho batholwa bedle izikhuthaza-mzimba ngoSergio Motsoeneng, Rasta Mohloli, Viktor Zhdanov, Lephetesang Adoro noLudwick Mamabolo nokho ngokuhamba kwesikhathi okwatholakala ukuthi umsulwa.
Nomkhuba wokudoja umzila kuyavela ukuthi mdala. Ngawama-1993 kwaphucwa uHerman Matthea owayegijimela i-Bellville Athletic Club indondo yegolide ngenxa yokuvela kobufakazi ukuthi ukugijima ukuqale eKloof eduze nasePinetown. Zazibheke eThekwini.
Esinye isigameko esagqama ngowama-1999 ngesamawele akwaMotsoeneng okwatholakala ukuthi ashintshana ngezimpahla zokugqoka maphakathi nomzila. Abanjiswa ngamakhamera athola ukuthi iwele elaliqale umzila iwashi laliligqoke esandleni sesokudla kanti elinye lizobonwa lilifake kwesokukunxele. Ngalesi senzo ahlaliswa iminyaka engayigijimi eComrades.