Ukhuvethe luyishaye phansi iComrades Marathon

Kungakapheli izinsuku kumenyezelwe ukuthi ngeke ube khona umqhudelwano iTwo Oceans Marathon, abasubathi bakuleli sebephinde bagqemeka kubhutsha omunye umqhudelwano omkhulu.

IComrades Marathon yanonyaka ebizobe iqeda iminyaka elikhulu yaba khona kumenyezelwe ukuthi ngeke isaba khona njengoba bekuhlelwe ukuthi ibe mhla zili-13 kuNhlangulana.

Kulokhu ibizosuka eMgungundlovu isongwe eThekwini.

NgoLwesithathu inhlangano ephethe lo mqhudelwano, iComrades Marathon Association (CMA), imemezele lezi zindaba yatshela abezindaba ukuthi lesi sinqumo basithathe emva kokuhlangana ne-Athletics South Africa (ASA), iKwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA), iNational Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) kanye nabezempilo.

ElaboHlanga likhulume nabasubathi ababamba iqhaza kulo mqhudelwano ukuthola imizwa yabo ngokuhlehliswa kwalo mqhudelwano onomlando omngaka.

UBongumusa Mthembu osenqobe iComrades Marathon kabili utshele leli phephanda ukuthi uzizwa ephoxeke kakhulu.

“Ngicabanga ukuthi kukhanyele noma ubani ukuthi iComrades Marathon yakulo nyaka izobhuntsha ngeledlule ngesikhathi kuvela izindaba zokubhuntsha kweTwo Oceans Marathon. Khona kushiya isilonda esikhulu ukungabi bikho kwalo mqhudelwano iminyaka emibili,” kusho uMthembu.

UMthembu ongowokudabuka eBulwer, waqala ukugijima lo mqhudelwano ngonyaka wezi-2006, nalapho owawukhuphuka waphuma endaweni yama-54. Uzifake emabhukwini omlando  ewunqoba kabili lo mqhudelwano kulandelana ngonyaka wezi-2017 nangowezi-2018.

Uthe yize ebengakawaqedi amalungiselelo akhe kodwa bekuyothi kufika uNhlangulana abe esemi ngomumo.

“Okungiphatha kabi nje ukuthi eminye iminxa yezemidlalo iyaqhubeka. Lokhu kungishiya nemibuzo yokuthi abahleli balo mqhudelwano ngabe babheka okuza ngakubona okanye kubagjimi na? Ngiyaqonda ukuthi siphila ngaphansi kwesifo ukhuvethe ziningi izinto ezimayo kodwa kungani umqhudelwano omkhulu kangaka uvele uhlehle kalula nje? Ngelinye ilanga singabagijimi komele sibhikishe, sicele ithuba lokukhuluma sibuze imibuzo okuyoba nzima ukuthi iphenduleke. Siyafisa ukuthi nabezindaba bakubhale konke esiyokusho mhlazane sesidweba umugqa wokuthi sesikhathele ukuphila kanje. Mina angisanendaba impela manje,” kusho uMthembu obezwakala ukuthi akaphathekile kahle neze.

Ebuzwa ukuthi uzobe enzani njengoba kuhlehliswe le miqhudelwano uthe: “Ngizogijima imijaho yamabanga amafushane ukuzigcina ngisesimweni esifanele. Ngizoqhubeka nginyuse igama likaBongumusa Mthembu mhlambe kukhona okuhle okungenzeka, ukugijima iyona into engiziphilisa ngayo. Uma kuhlehla imiqhudelwano emikhulu akwehli kahle lokho kumina,” usho kanje uMthembu oqeqeshwa uXolani Mabhida.

ElaboHlanga likhulume noFikile Mbuthuma naye owaqala ukugijima lo mqhudelwano ngonyaka wezi-2006.

“Ngeke ngikhulume kakhulu kwazise bengingeke ngiyingenele iComrades yakulo nyaka ngenxa yezizathu ezithinta impilo yami. Engingakusho ukuthi ngibuhlungu kakhulu ngozakwethu abese sebezilungiselele lo mqhudelwano, abanye le nduku isibashaya okwesibili,” kusho uFikile.

Omunye umsubathi okhulume nelaboHlanga uNkosikhona Mhlakwana uthe: “Ngiqale ukuzilungiselela lo mqhudelwano ngoLwezi nyakenye, lokho kukucacisela ngokusobala ukuthi bengizimisele kangakanani ngawo. Ngiphoxekile kakhulu, kodwa-ke akukho engingakwenza. Ukhuvethe lungishaye kakhulu.”

UMhlakwana wagijima iComrades Maraton okokuqala ngonyaka wezi-2019 nalapho aphuma khona endaweni ye-11.

Uthe kulo nyaka ubefisa ukubalwa nabasubathi abali-10 abaphume phambili.

“Bengingajabula ukubalwa nabali-10 abaphezulu. Ukubhuntsha kwale mijaho akusho ukuthi sekuphelile ngami ngisazoqhubeka ngigijime eminye imiqhudelwano yamabanga angama-90km nebanga lama-42 km,” kusho uMhlakwana.

AbeCMA badalule ukuthi ngalo usuku obekumele kubanjwe ngalo iComrades Marathon bazokuba neVirtual Run njengoba benza nanyakenye.  

Umlando weComrades Marathon omfishane

• Umqhudelwano wokuqala waba ngonyaka we-1921 mhla zingama-24 kuNhlaba. Yasungulwa uVic Clapham.
• Umjaho wokuqala wanqontshwa uBill Rowan kwabesilisa, kwabesifazane wanqontshwa uFrances Hayward.
• Umjaho wokugcina ngonyaka wezi-2019 kwabesilisa wanqotshwa u-Edward Mothibi (5:31:33), kwabesifazane wanqotshwa uGerda Steyn (5:58:53).