UWillie akamboni ongaphula irekhodi
KUNGABA yinto ethathwa njengomlingo uma kuba khona umgijimi ophula irekhodi kwiComrades Marathon yalo nyaka ezophelela eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
UWillie Mtolo oyinkakha yezokusubatha amabanga amade, uthe kumele sikhohlwe wukuthi kukhona amarekhodi azokwephuka kulokhu kulo mjaho ongeSonto ozobe usuka eMgungundlovu ngo-5.30 ekuseni.
Irekhodi elehlayo leComrades kwabesilisa lagcina libekwe uDavid Gatebe ngo-2016 enza u-5:18:19. Ngalowo nyaka umjaho ubuphela eKingsmead Cricket Stadium. Kwabesifazane kusami elikaFrith van Der Merwe elingu-5:54:43 alibeka ngo-1989.
Kulokhu ibanga leComrades selingu-90.184km lisuka ku-89.208km.
“Angiboni kulo nyaka kuzokwenzeka. Ngokwami uma begijime u-5:35 noma u-5:40 bazobe benze kahle ngenxa yebanga abazobe beligijima. Phela abantu into abangayiqondi wukuthi ukusuka nje eKingsmead kukodwa, uya eMabhida kuyibanga cishe elingu-2km. Yize kuyindawo eqondile kodwa uma ukulesi simo abazobe bekusona kuyafana nokuthi ukhuphuka umango. Ngibona ukuthi kula makhilomitha okugcina yilapho singabona khona kushintsha izindawo,” kusho uMtolo.
UMtolo, owazifaka emabhukwini omlando enqoba iNew York Marathon ngo-1992, usamile ekuthipheni uBongmusa Mthembu ukuthi avikele isicoco asinqobe nyakenye.
UMthembu ubenqoba isicoco sakhe sesibili seComrades. Wayedle ubhedu ngo-2014. Uma engakuphinda lokho uzobe eseqophe omunye umlando eba ngowokuqala omnyama wakuleli ukudla izicoco ezintathu.
“Uma ngibheka indlela agijime ngayo kwiTwo Oceans ingikhombisile ukuthi usesimeni esihle. Ububona ukuthi akawakhiphile wonke amangwevu kodwa washaya isikhathi esihle.”
Kulezi zinsuku uMthembu akatholakali ocingweni lwakhe. Kuvele ukuthi uzifihlile ezintabeni zokhahlamba (e-Underberg) lapho enza khona amalungiselelo okugcina.
“Ngike ngakhuluma nomqeqeshi wakhe (uXolani Mabhida) ushilo ukuthi benzela ukuthi angaphazamiseki. Uthe yena usesimeni esihle kakhulu akakhali ngalutho. Sebeshayela isipikili sokugcina,” kusho uMtolo.
Ngaphandle kukaMthembu uthe umbhekile noGatebe ngenxa yakho ukuthi wakhombisa ukuthi unalo ijubane uma kwehliwa.
“Yize ngibasho laba kodwa ke ngiyazi ukuthi ngosuku lomjaho kungenzeka noma yini. Akufanele simangale uma sekuqhamuka umgijimi obenganakiwe njengoba kwenza yena uGatebe ngesikhathi enqoba. Okunye kwesinye isikhathi uma wonke amehlo ebheke wena uzithola usunengcindezi,” kusho uMtolo.
Uphethe ngokuthi kusazothatha isikhathi ukuthi kube nomgijimi omnyama wesifazane onqobayo.
“IComrades idinga ukuthi uyeke konke ukuze uzinikele kuyona. Kuba nzima komama ukuthi bashiye amakhaya nemisebenze baye emakhempini beyozilungiselela. Badinga ukuthi besekwe kakhulu ukuze kufinyelele kulelo zinga,” kusho uMtolo.