Ucilo uzishaye endukwini kumgijimi onqobe iTownship to Township
WESULEKE izinyembezi umgijimi waseLesotho, uPhakoane Rakoto, enqoba i-Ethekwini Township to Township Marathon ebisuka KwaMashu, yayophelela eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza, izolo.
Abaphume phambili bathola u-R40 000, indawo yesibili u-R20 000 kuthi eyesithathu kube ngu-R15 000 kwabesilisa nabesifazane.
URakoto ugqashule intambo ngo-2.25.27 walandelwa u-Isaac Mpofu waseZimbabwe (2.25.46) kwathi uSiphamandla Nyembe waba ngowokuqala kwabaseNingizimu Afrika engena endaweni yesithathu ngo-2.25.54.
URakoto ogijimela iPhantane Athletic Club, uthe ubengabhekile ukuwina kulo mjaho kodwa ukujabulele ukudla umhlanganiso.
Bese kungokwesithathu engenela iTownship to Township, indawo engcono abe nayo, eyesihlanu ayithole nyakenye.
“Bengizile nje ngoba ngenyanga edlule ngigijime kwiMandela Marathon kodwa ngangenza kahle ngoba bengigula. Ngijabule kakhulu ngoba bengingalindele ukuphuma endaweni yokuqala,” kusho uRakoto.
Ngokusho komqeqeshi wakhe, uMdu Khumalo, babebheke ukuthi uRakoto enze kahle kwiMandela Marathon kodwa wahlushwa wukugula njengoba wayephalaza wagcina esentekenteke ukuthi angenza kahle kulo mjaho waseMgungundlovu.
UMpofu naye uveze injabulo yakhe ngendawo ayitholile kwazise akanaso isipiliyoni sokugijima imijaho. Ubeqala ukuzogijima eNingizimu Afrika. UNyembe usale eziqhenya ngokumela isifundazwe.
Kwabesifazane kugiye uLoveness Madziva waseZimbabwe ogijimela iNedbank. Le ntokazi ingene ngo-2.52.06, kanti indawo yesibili ithathwe uJennifer Koech waseKenya eshaya u-3.06.31 owayenqobe nyakenye. Indawo yesithathu ithathwe uSanelisiwe Mbanjwa waseYellowwood Park, eThekwini. Uqophe isikhathi esingu-3.08.21.
“Bengiqala ukugijima iTownship, ngijabule futhi nesimo sezulu besisihle. Ayikho ingcindezi engiyizwile,” kusho uMadziva. Uthe yena ubezele ukuzozicijela omunye umjaho lapha.
“Bengingawazi umgudu womjaho ukuthi uhamba kanjani. Ngimane ngalandela abesilisa,” kusho yena.
Bekukhona nomjaho ka-21km onqotshwe uSipho Mbanjwa kwabesilisa. Kwabesifazane kunqobe uJenet Mbhele.