Menzi Magubane
Ngichithe impelasonto edlule e-Dundee, eNyakatho neKwaZulu-Natali, kwiPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yesibili, ngizibuza ukuthi kungani le mijaho ingabanjelwa kuzo zonke izinxenye zezwe.
Angikhumbuli ngibona noyedwa wabagijimi bethu bamabanga amade eMidlalweni wama-Olimpiki ase-Tokyo ngenyanga edlule, kodwa sinenqwaba yabagijimi abanamakhono ezweni.
Uthando lwabagijimi abasebasha lungenze ngazibuza ukuthi kungani sinomjaho we-Comrades Marathon kuphela e-KZN kanye nowe-Two Ocean Marathon eKapa.
Abagijimi bethu – ikakhulukazi labo abasemakhaya njengase-Dundee – balambele eminye imijaho. Lo mqhudelwano unikeze abagijimi abavela ezweni lonke nangaphandle kwemingcele yethu ithuba lokuthi baphinde bancintisane.
Bonke bebegijima okokuqala selokhu kwaqala ubhubhane lwe-Covid-19 kanti i-52km ibiyinde kakhulu kwiningi labo, kodwa ububona ukuthi bakujabulele ukugijima futhi.
Ophume phambili kowabesilisa uNkosikhona Mhlakwane nowesifazane owinile uLoveness Madziva bahamba nemali eyizi-R100,000 umuntu emunye.
Ukuncintisana nompetha womjaho we-ultra marathon uBongimusa Mthembu kube yisikhuthazo kubasubathi abasha. Esinye isikhuthazo kube ukwazi ukuthi labo abagijime kahle bazokwazi ukuhlungelala i-Comrades ne-Two Oceans.
Kungani singabi nezifundazwe eziningi ezihlela le mijaho ukuze zinikeze abagijimi bazo bendawo ithuba lokuba yingxenye yemijaho emikhulu?
Kwazi bani? Mhlawumbe omunye uJosiah Thugwane, owanqoba i-Marathon kuma-Olimpiki angowe-1996, kukhona lapho alinde khona.
I-Athletics South Africa (i-ASA) kufanele ikhuthaze izifundazwe kanye nomasipala bazo bendawo ukuthi baqale ukwenza imiqhudelwano efana neyase-Dundee.
I-ASA izoba nabagijimi abasezingeni eliphezulu njengoba labo masipala basemakhaya bazokwamukelwa futhi babone ukuvakashelwa kakhulu endaweni yabo, kanti nabantu bendawo bazohlomula – njengoba nje kwenzekile e-Dundee.