Uthando alinikwa umphakathi wangakubo lumenze wangenela umjaho
Umsubathi wesifazane osezakhele igama kwezokusubatha KwaZulu-Natal uJanet Mbhele uthi ukube kuya ngaye ubengeke abe yingxenye yeHarry Gwala District Marathon okuwumjaho ozokuba ngeSonto.
Le ntokazi yaseNew City eMzimkhulu ngaphansi kwesiFunda iHarry Gwala, yazise elaboHlanga ukuthi lo mjaho iwugijima ngoba kayifuni ukuphoxa abantu bangakubo njengoba bembheke ngabomvu ekutheni enganqoba.
“Bekungeke kwaba kuhle ukuthi kufike abasubathi bangaphandle kwesifunda nangaphandle kweNingizimu Afrika, bezogijima ezintabeni zangasekhaya mina ngingagijimi. Okuyimbangela ebiyenza ukuthi ngingabaze ukugijima ngeSonto ingoba ngiphuma ukugijima ibanga lama-52km kuPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon ngenyanga edlule. Bengidinga ukuphumuza umzimba, kodwa ngenxa yothando enginikwa abantu bangakithi ngeke ngabaphoxa” kusho uJanet ogijima ngaphansi kweXcel Running Club.
Lo mjaho ohlelwa ngokuhlanganyela uMasipala wesiFunda, iBuhlebezwe, uMzimkhulu, uMnyango wezeMidlalo neGenius Athletics Club (AC) kaThembaGumede, uzosukela eR612 Highflats uphelele eMzimkhulu College Sport Ground.
Ebangeni lama-52km kowePrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon uphume endaweni yesibili ngesikhathi esiwu-03:27:39.
UJanet ubalule ukuthi akumphathi kahle ukuthi lo mjaho wangakubo, isikhathi esiningi unqotshwa abantu okungabona abakwisifunda iHarry Gwala.
“Kulo nyaka ngifisa ibanga noma elilodwa kube ukuthi kunqoba umuntu oqhamuka kwisifunda iHarry Gwala. Kubuhlungu nje ngoba nonyaka angizile ukuzogijimela ukunqoba, inhloso nje ukulwa nabahlanu abazoqeda phambili. Ngoba ngishilo umzimba wami ubudinga ukuphumula, ngalokho ngeke ngazifakela ingcindezi engenasidingo” kusho uJanet ozobe egijima ibanga lama-21km.
Nyakenye uJanet waphuma endaweni yesithathu kulona ibanga lama-21km ngesikhathi esiyi-1:14.29.
Nyakenye kuwo wonke amabanga kunqobe abasubathi bangaphandle kwesifunda iHarry Gwala. Kuma-42km, kwabesilisa, kukhonye u-Ayanda Ngcobo (2:18.08), kwabesimame kwaba uChepkosgei Koech waseKenya (2:58.25). Kwelika-21km kube uJobo Khotoane (1:02.12), kwabesifazane kwanqoba uMolulubete Makatsi (0:12.09).
Kwele-10km kube uSiyabonga Ndlovu (26:06) noBathabile Mkhize (34:54).
Ilinganiselwa kwizinkulungwane ezingama-R400 imali okuzokonyeliswa ngayo abanqobile. Abazoshaya intambo ku-42km kubona bobubili ubulili bazohlomula izinkulungwane ezingama-R50. Abazolala kweyesibili izinkulungwane ezingama-R30, isithathu kube ezili-R15. Abazonqoba kuma-21km bazothola izinkulungwane ezili-R10 bese kuba u-R5000 ebangeli lika-10km.
Womathathu lamabanga akhokha kuze kuyoshaya kwabangene kweyeshumi.
Ngaphandle kwakhet, baningi abasubathi abaqhamuka ngaphansi kwesifunda iHarry Gwala lapho kubalwa uWillie Mtolo owanqoba iNew York Marathon waphuma endaweni yesibili kabili koweComrades Marathon. UBongumusa Mthembu osebe ngumphetha weComrades Marathon kathathu, wanqoba ne-56km Two Oceans Marathon, uThobani Chagwe ongumpetha weMandela Marathon neHarry Gwala Marathon.