UMGIJIMI odle umhlanganiso kwiPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon ngeledlule, uNtsindiso Mphakathi, uthi usemagange ngokuyoyibamba ishisa kwi-Old Mutual Soweto Marathon yebanga lika-42.2km.
UMphakathi (32) ongaphansi kweNsika Athletics Club engaphansi kwezinkakha, okubalwa kuzo uHendrick Ramaala noWillie Mtolo, udle ubhedu kwiMangosuthu Marathon yebanga lika-52km, ebisuka eDundee iphela eNquthu, esegijima ihlandla lesibili kuwona.
Ukungaphumeleli kukaMhlakwana emjahweni wakulo nyaka ukuzovikela isicoco sakhe kubukeka kunike uMphakathi ithuba lokudla ubhedu kowanonyaka, eshiya uSboniso Sikhakhane ophume isibili, noSanele Sibisi ophume isithathu.
"Ngize kwiPrince Mangosuthu ngizilungiselele ngokwanele. Futhi bengize nginokuzethemba okhulu, ngizimisele ngokuzokwenza kangcono kakhulu kunangonyaka odlule.
Kimi kusho lukhulu ukunqoba lo mjaho, ikakhulukazi njengoba bengiwugijima okwesibili kulo nyaka.
Kodwa okuyiyona nto engijabulisa kakhulu wukuthi sengiyaqala ukujwayela ukugijima imijaho yamabanga amade njengoba bengigxile kakhulu emabangeni amafushane o-10km neyama-cross country.
Ngigijimile kwiTwo Oceans Marathon ngo-Ephreli, kwangangihambela kahle kodwa ngalungisa amaphutha engangiwenzile, ngakwazi ukubuya ngeMangosuthu Marathon,” kusho uMphakathi.
UMphakathi ebuzwa ukuthi uzimisele yini ngokuyoyibamba emjahweni omkhulukazi iComrades Marathon ozogijinywa ngo-Agasti, usheshe wazihlangula wathi uzibona engakakulungeli ukugijima kuyona, ikakhulukazi kulo nyaka.
“Cha, okwamanje akukho nhlobo ezinhlelweni zami ukuyogijima iComrades Marathon. Sengivele ngigijime imijaho emibili yamabanga amade ngesikhathi esifushane. Ngiqale ngeTwo Oceans, ngalandela ngeMangosuthu, ngakho-ke ngabe ngiyazibulala uma sengiyogima iComrades futhi nonyaka.
Umjaho engizimisele kakhulu ngokuyowugijima yi-Old Mutual Soweto Marathon, okuyiwona mjaho engisashabashekele ukuwunqoba cishe ukwedlule eminye esengike ngayigijima phambilini kuze kube manje. Lo mjaho uzogijinywa ngoNovemba 6, eSoweto, eGoli.
Ngisenesikhathi esanele sokuwulungisela, engilubalubela kakhulu ukugcina ngiwunqobile.”
UMphakathi udabuka ePikane, ePort St Johns e-Eastern Cape, kodwa osezinze eDube, eSoweto. Ngo-2017 uphume isithathu kwiSoweto Marathon.