Ubheke ukushaya intambo uZinhle kuJosiah Gumede Marathon
UZinhle Shabalala uthi uzimisele ukuyishaya kuqala intambo emqhudelwaneni ozokuba kusasa.
Le ntokazi izoba ingxenye yabasubathi abazoncintisana emqhudelwaneni obizwa ngokuthi iJosiah Gumede Marathon. Lo mqhudelwano waminyaka yonke uhlelwe iDrankenberg Extravangaza. UGumede waba nguMengameli weqembu elibusayo i-African National Congress (ANC).
Kulo nyaka lo mjaho uhlukaniswe izigaba ezintathu. Kukhona ibanga lama-42km, elama-21km nele-10km.
‘’Ngikulungele ukuthi ngincintisane kusasa, ngiyazi bonke abasubathi bakubhekile ukunqoba ingakho ngisebenze kanzima ngaphambi kwayo. Kongijabulisa ukushaya kuqala intambo’’ kusho Zinhle ogijima ngaphansi kweXcel Running Club.
Le ntokazi eneminyaka yobudala engama-32, ngokudabuka idabuka eMnambithi, endaweni yasePhayikeni. Ithe iqale ukusubatha ngonyaka wezi-2015.
Ingabanye babasubathi asebegijime kwimiqhudelwano eminingi kuleli, lapho kubalwa iCapital City Marathon, iMandela Day Marathon, iPost Net Marathon, iNedbank Runfield Altra, iDurban International Marathon, iSanlam Cape Town Marathon, iHollywoodbets Durban Summer nayo iJosiah Gumede Marathon.
UZinhle oqeqeshwa uVumelani Ngubane, uza kulo mqhudelwano uhambela phezulu njengoba esanda kunqoba umqhudelwano weHollywoodbets Durban Summer 10km.
‘’Ukunqoba kwami kumqhudelwano obuseThekwini, akusho ukuthi nalo ngizowunqoba. Okumele ngikwenze nje mina ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi ngiqhubeka nokwenza kahle’’ usho kanje.
Isifiso sale ntokazi ukuthi ngelinye ilanga isize umphakathi wangakubo ukuthi uthuthuke.
Kubasubathi ebukela kubona uGerda Steyn, uVette van Zyl noGlenrose Xaba.
Abanye abasubathi abagijima ngaphansi kweXcell Running Club abazogijima kuyona iJosiah Gumede Marathon, uNdumiso Sokhela, uSiyabonga Nkonde noCacisile Sosibo.
USokhela ngenyanga edlule unqobe iMzila kaThambo Marathon e-Eastern Cape, uNkonde ngeledlule uphume endaweni yesibili kuLundi Striders ebangeni la-10km. UCacisile yena uphume endaweni yesibili koweHollywoodbets Durban, usanda kuthola umklomelo emva kobalwa nabali-10 abenze kahle koweSpar Ladies Grand Prix Series.
Abanye abasubathi beXcell Running Club, izintokazi zakwaMkhize uThobile noBathobile.
UBathobile ungumpetha weMkhambathini Marathon 10km neMangosuthu Marathon 10km.
ElaboHlanga likhulume nomgqugquzeli walomqhudelwano uSipho Ndaba.
‘’Wonke amalungiselelo ahambe kahle kakhulu, sesilindele usuku lakusasa. Silindele ukuthi izinga libe phezulu, ngoba wonke umuntu uzobe efuna ukunqoba’’ kusho uNdaba.
Uqinisekisile ukuthi bazoyilandela imigomo kahulumeni yokhuvethe, yokuthi kube khona abantu abayizinkulungwane ezimbili.
Imvamisa lo mqhudelwano inxusa lawo kuba nguBongumusa Mthembu, osenqobe iComrades Marathon kabili.
Yonke imijaho izoqala ngehora lesi-5:30 eBergville Sport Centre. Ozonqoba ebangeni lama-42km uzogoduka nezinkulungwane ezi-R5, ebangeni lama-21 agoduke nezinkulungwane ezintathu bese kuthi ebangeni lika-10km uzozitholela izinkulungwane ezimbili.
UMandla Mngomezulu weXcell Running Club, uthe uyabathemba kakhulu abasubathi abazobe bebamele kulo mqhudelwano.
“Senze kahle kakhulu kwimiqhudelwano edlule, nakulokhu ngiyathemba sizoqhubeka nokwenza kahle. Sinabasubathi abanekhono elehlukahlukene, uma kungabhekwa indlela abagijime ngayo kwimiqhudelwano edlule kuyaveza ukuthi sobuya sijabule koweJosiah Gumede Marathon” kubeka uMngomezulu.
Uthe nakanjani uZinhle uzokuba yingqwele kulo mqhudelwano. “Ifomu yakhe yinhle kakhulu, uyena olithemba lethu. Ngaphandle nje kwakhe, iXcell Running Club izovala ngehlahla iyona ezothola imikomelo eminingi” kuphetha uMngomezulu.
