Sekumi ngomumo ngePrince Mangosuthu Marathon
Kulindeleke ukuthi izinga libe phezulu kakhulu kumqhudelwano waminyaka yonke wokusubatha iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon.
Lo mqhudelwano uzokuba ngeSonto, uzobe usukela eNquthu uphelele eDundee. Nonyaka kuzobe kuqala ukuba khona kwebanga lika-21km, nelizobe linomkomelo oconsisa amathe.
UCeli Makhoba ongumhleli womjaho ekhuluma nelaboHlanga uthe: “Kuzoba ingqophamlando okuzokwenzeka kulo mqhudelwano, okwenza ngisho njalo i-Africa yonkana ebangeni lika-21km ayikaze ibe ngaka imali enqotshwa khona. Sizobona iningi labasubathi abaningi begcwele ebangeni lawo u-21km” kusho uMakhoba.
Uphinde wabalula ukuthi izinhlelo zalo mqhudelwano zihambe kahle zonke, okusele ukuqhuma kwesibhamu. Ngokusho kwakhe uthe balindele abasubathi abayizinkulungwane ezimbili nangaphezulu kulo mjaho.
Ngaphandle kwebanga lika-21km kukhona ibanga lama-52km nelika-10km. Ilinganiselwa kwizinkulungwane ezingaphezulu kwezingama-R700 imali ezonqotshwa ilabo abazobe beyingxenye yawo lo mqhudelwano.
Lo mjaho ohlelwa iBiggersburg Athletics Club (AC) okuyiyo ehlela lo mjaho okuhlonishwa ngawo umsunguli weqembu lepolitiki Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) uMntwana waKwaPhindangene, ungomdala njengoba wasungulwa ngowezi-2011 wamiswa ngenxa yokushintshwa kosopolitiki. Ubuyile ngiwezi-2019 waphinde wama ngenxa yokhuvethe wabe usubuya nyakenye.
Kulo mjaho kukhona abasubathi abaqhamuka nasemazweni angaphandle neNingizimu Afrika okuyiKenya, iMozambique, iZimbabwe neSwazini.
Okunye ngalo mqhudelwano abantu bazobe bezilolongela ngawo iComrades Marathon, kwazise nawo ungowokuhlengela yona iComrades Marathon.
ElaboHlanga likhulume no-Ayanda Ngcobo ogijima ngaphansi kwe-Excel Running Club, obheke ukwenza kahle kulo mqhudelwano nonyaka kwazise nyakenye waqeda endaweni yesikhombisa ngesikhathi esiwu (03:04:50).
“Yize ngingabanga namalungiselelo amahle njengoba ngike ngathinteka ngaphambi komjaho iDurban International. Kodwa ngoba ngiyazazi ukuthi ngifunani ngizofela khona. Inhloso yami ukuthi ngenze isikhathi esiwu-03:02. Ngizobe ngigijima ngomqondo” kusho uNgcobo.
Ubalule ukuthi bakhulumile noNtsindiso “Tata” Mphakathi okunguye onqobe nyakenye ngesikhathi esiwu-03:00:45.
“Mina noMphakathi sikhulumile kakhulu kwazise singabangani, ukubalulile ukuthi ufuna ukuphinde awunqobe lo mjaho kodwa nami ngimtshelile ngeke kuze kube lula ngoba nami ngifuna ukushaya kuqala intambo” usho kanje.
Ozonqoba ebangeni lama-52km uzogoduka nelizinkulungwane ezingama-R100, ku-21km ahambe nelizinkulungwane ezingama-R50 kuthi ebangeni lika-10km ahambe nezinkulungwane ezi-R5.
UMphakathi washaya kuqala intambo walandelwa uSiboniso Sikhakhane (03:02:00) kweyesithathu kwaba uSanele Sibisi (03:02:32). Kwabesifazane khona kwanqoba uNontokozo Mkhize (03:39:01), kwaba u-Enie Manzini (03:58:09) kwaba uLisa Collett (03:58:11.
