KONKE sekumi ngomumo ngomjaho iMandela Day Marathon ozoba ngeSonto eHowick.
Lo mjaho owenzeka okwesishiyagalombili kulo nyaka ungenelwe abasubathi abangaphezulu kuka-20 000. Umjaho ubhekwe ngabomvu njengoba iminingi imidlalo ezobe yenzeka ngoMgqibelo okubalwa kuyona imijaho yezingane, mountain biking, trail running ne-triathlon.
“Bangaphezu kuka-20 000 abasubathi abangenele umjaho nonyaka. Lezi izindaba ezimnandi kakhulu kubahleli beMandela Marathon futhi kusho ukuthi umjaho unesasasa kakhulu hhayi eNingizimu Afrika kuphela kodwa ezwenikazi i-Afrika,” kuchaza iMeya yomkhandlu waseMgungundlovu, uThobekile Maphumulo.
Kulo mjaho kulindeleke abasubathi abavela emazweni angaphandle abawu-120 abanethemba lokufinyelela esiphethweni. Isibalo sabasubathi bangaphandle sifakazela ukukhula komjaho.
Kubasubathi abavela emazweni angaphandle abawu-29 bazogijima kwi-21km, abawu-28 bagijime kwi-10km kuthi abawu-63 babe yinxenye ye-42km.
Abasubathi abangenele umjaho nonyaka bavela emazweni afana neZimababwe (33), Zambia (4), Kenya (6), Lesotho (23), Malawi (4), Mozambique (3), oyedwa uvela eSingapore kanti oyedwa uvela e-United Kingdom. Abane abavela e-United State of America nabawu-26 abasuka eSwatini.
“UNelson Mandela uyinkakha eyaziwa umhlaba wonke ngenxa yamagalelo akhe. NguMengameli wethu wayethandwa yiwona wonke umuntu nasemazweni wonke. Nathi njengabahleli bomjaho siyajabula kakhulu ngesasasa esilibonayo njengoba ungumfanekiso ohlanganisa konke uTata Madiba ayeyikho,” kusho iMeya Maphumulo.
Kukhona nabagijimi abasezingeni eliphezulu abalindeleke ukuba yingxenye yomjaho abavela ezwenikazi i-Afrika abazobe belwela isicoco. Kubalwa kubona uSkhumbuzo Bhengu ovela esifundazweni iKwaZulu-Natal, osegijime imiqhudelwano eminingi, uPhakoena Rakoto ovela eLesotho noTeboho Noosi abanekhono elikhulu kwezokugijima abazogijima kwi-42km.
Esigabeni sabesifazane kunoSelam Abere oyinkakha kwiMandela Marathon okungangabazeki ukuthi uzophinde enze lokhu adume ngakho noonyaka. Wanqoba umjaho ngo-2015, waphinde wanqoba nango-2016.
Ngo-2017 waphuma endaweni yesibili. Ongumqondisi womjaho uJohan Van Staden, uthe amalungiselelo ahamba kahle kakhulu futhi bajabule kakhulu ngakho konke. Abasubathi abake baba yingxenye yomjaho bazowubona umehluko owenziwe kulo nyaka. Lapho uzophelel;a khona umjaho yiseNelson Mandela Capture Site.
UNgqogqoshe wezokuBusa ngokubambisana nezoMdabu uSipho Hlomuka, unxenxa imiphakathi eseduze ukuthi iphume ngobuningi ukuzohalalisela abasubathi abazobe beyingxenye yalo mjaho.