Le yiveki ebaluleke kakhulu kuNothando Makhakha, imbaleki yaseMpuma Koloni eza kube ibaleka iCamrades Marathon ebomini bayo ngeCawe kule nyanga yeThupha. UMakhakha yimbaleki yelali yaseJarha, eTsomo, eyaqala kancinci ukubaleka ngo-2017 isenza nje. Kwakungekho phupha lokuba yimbaleki ekukhuleni kwakhe – kodwa uxinizelelo lomsebenzi, lulo olwabangela aziqhelanise nokujima. “Njengomntu osebenzayo, kukhe kubekho iingxaki ezisisindayo. Ekuqaleni kwam ukubaleka, ndandifuna nje into eza kuphazamisa ingqondo. Zange ibekho ingcinga ethi mandibe yimbaleki ebomini bam,” utshilo uMakhakha ethetha neli phephandaba.
“Kwiintsuku zam zokuqala kwakukho iLegends Marathon. Ndadibana nabantu ejimini belungiselela yona. Ndabanomdla nam wokuya kuyo. Emva kokudibana nezinye iimbaleki kwiLegends Marathon, wakhula nakum umdla wokuba yimbaleka futhi ndabanento ethi nam ndiyafuna ukubaleka iComrades Marathon ngenye imini,” utshilo uMakhakha weChilli Athletics Club. Xa kusitsho isithonga sompu esisusa iimbaleki ekuseni ngeCawe, inenekazi laseTsomo lakube liphakathi kwaloo mawaka eembaleki eziza kusuka eMgungundlovu zisiya eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini – apho ugqatso luza kuphethwa khona. Umgama ongamashumi asibhozo anethoba eekhilomitha unzima, ngakumbi kwimbaleki eqalayo njengoMakhakha.
Nakubeni kunjalo, uthe ukulungele ukubaleka iComrades Marathon emva kokubaleka ikhulu leekhilomitha emdyarhweni weembaleki obuseMthatha kutshanje. “Ndiyilungele iComrades. Bekukho umdyarho weembaleki obuseMthatha ebendiye kuwo. Ndibaleke kuwo ndabamba indawo yesine. Yona iComrades Marathona ingeneno kule ndisuka kuyo – kodwa andiyideleli ngoba ngumdyarho omkhulu. Ndiqinisekile ndiza kufika entanjeni. Nokuba ndifike ndigaqa ngamadolo – kodwa ndiza kuyigqiba,” uvale ngaloo mazwi uMakhakha ozimisele ukubaleka iComrades iiyure ezilithoba. Phakathi kwemidyarho ayibalekileyo uMakhakha ukusuka ngonyaka ka-2017, kukho iTwo Oceans Marathon, iSoweto Marathon noHeroes Marathon.
Imvumi yaseNgqeleni ibuye neembasa ezimbini kwiiMAMAs!