Iqeda iminyaka eli-10 iBongumusa Mthembu Training Marathon
Ngathi uyaphupha umsubathi wakuleli uBongumusa Mthembu ukuthi kusasa izobe iqeda iminyaka eli-10 iBongumusa Mthembu Training Marathon yasungulwa.
Lo mjaho wasungulwa ngowezi-2014, ubambisene neNxamalala Striders Athletics Club. Uhlanganiswa oMasipala ababili bendawo okuyi-Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma neMpendle bobabili laba oMasipala bangaphansi kwisifunda iHarry Gwala District noMgungundlovu District.
Inhloso yawo lo mjaho kusuke kungwkhona ukuncintiswana kodwa kusuke kuwulekelela labo abazobe begijima iComrades Marathon ngonyaka olandelayo ingakho, leTraining Marathon iyibanga elingama-60km. Uzosukela eBhambatha Stadium, eBulwer uphelele eMpendle e-Inzinga Stadium, eMpendle, kusukela ligamenxe elesi-5 ekuseni.
“Kuyintokozo kakhulu ukuthi kusasa sizoqeda iminyaka eli-10 ikhona leTraining Marathon, ngingasho ngaphandle kokungabaza ukuthi unyaka nonyaka. Buka nje yakwazi ukuthi iqhubeke nokuba khona nangesikhathi sokhuvethe, abantu bayithakasela kakhulu. Isibalo sabantu abeza kuyona siyanda unyaka nonyaka. Ngisho nabaqhamuma emazweni angaphandle bayeza kuyona, lokho okuchaza ukuthi akuyona nje into encane” usho kanje uMthembu.
Ngonyaka asungula ngayo leTraining Marathon uMthembu wabe enqobe ngawo iComrades Marathon, eyabe isuka eMgungundlovu iya eThekwini ngesikhathi esiwu (05:28:34).
Kubagijimi abalindelekile uFikile Mbuthuma, uProdical Khumalo noNkosikhona Mhlakwana ukubala abambalwa.
“Kuyangikabulisa ukuthi leTraining Marathon isibakhulisile abantu bangakithi. Ngoba isithi bayenzeka begcwale imigwaqo bezobukela, abanye sebenze bayagijima kwamanye amabanga. Okusho ukuthi asigcini ngokugijima, kodwa sikhuthaza nabantu kakhulukazi intsha ukuba izibandakanye nalo mdlalo” kubeka uMthembu.
Lo msubathi ogijima ngaphansi kwe-Arthur Ford, useyinqobe kathathu iComrades Marathon ngonyaka wezi-2014, 2017 nangowezi-2018.
Ebuzwa elaboHlanga ukuthi ubona linjani izinga lezokusubatha esifundazweni iKwaZulu-Natal uthe: “Lo mbuzo uyohlezi ukhona, ngokwami impendulo yawo ukuthi kumele kwenzeke njengakunobhutshuzwayo, ikhilikithi nombhoxo kusondezwe abantu abagijima kudala abawuqonda kangcono lo mdlalo. Ngalokho kokwenza izinga linyuke kakhulu, ngoba lona ikhono likhona” usho kanje.
Ekhuluma ngalonyaka ukuthi ubenjani uthe: “Kube unyaka ongifundise ukuthi uma nje ngiqede umjaho ngisaphila, ngibe nethba lokuthi ngokuzayo ngenza kahle. Ngalokho ngingasho ngithi ungikhulisile. Abathandi bami bebebheke lukhulu kumina, lokho kuzokwenzeka ngonyaka ozayo njengoba ngaleTraining Marathon ngiqala ngilungiselela unyaka ozayo” kuphetha uMthembu
