Race Recap

BDF Mogoditshane Race (10km), Race Recap (2018)

Shathiso @thegaboronerunner.com

This year I have been very selective with my race choices; unlike last year, I have focused more on quality than on quantity. BUT I must admit there is nothing that gets my heart pumping and my adrenaline rushing like a race! So when I saw Coach Nicola had scheduled a 10 km Long Run on the 26th August 2018, the same day as the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Athletics Club inaugural race in Mogoditshane, I jumped right in! Mogoditshane is a peri-urban town located in the Kweneng District of Botswana and borders the capital city, Gaborone. In the early hours of the morning, it only took us about 15 minutes to get to the BDF Stadium at the Sir Seretse Khama (SSK) Barracks.

Race Morning:We met the usual suspects just after 6 am and although we were nervous as we hadn’t raced in a while, we were still all smiles as we waited for the race to start.

There were over 400 runners for the 10 km route and close to 150 runners for the Half Marathon. There was also a 5 km Fun Run option. The Half Marathoners set off first and we followed shortly after. We had hoped for some military precision in terms of timing as it was an army event, but we ended up starting much later than expected.

The Race: Mogoditshane is a vibrant place and has a lot of character. As we ran through the streets, there were a lot more spectators and cheering than we are used to in Gaborone as well as a few curious goats on the side of the road. As we passed through some neighbourhoods, the smell of magwinya (fat cakes) frying in the pots wafted through the air. The town seemed so wide awake for a Saturday morning and there was a lot of hustle and bustle as we navigated combis and taxis along the Molepolole Road.

My goal for this race was to take it easy and to enjoy myself. So other than this, I didn’t set any real expectations and never intended to race this. When the gun went off, I started a bit faster than usual. I contemplated slowing down but then quickly decided to challenge myself and see how long I could maintain this faster pace. For the first 5 km, I did very well – my splits, min/km were 07:11/ 07:01/ 07:01/ 07:24 (incline) / 07:02. For the second half I slowed down a bit: 07:21/ 07:23/ 07:32/ 07:27/ 07:16 but as the course was long I managed 06:38 for the final 780 metres! I ran strong and was quite pleased that I decided to push myself a bit more than I had originally planned to.

My Time: As the course was long (10.78 km) my official time is not a true reflection of my actual 10 km performance – 1:18:09. When I look at my pace, 07:14, my 10 km time would be around, 1:12:22 which I am very happy with.

Once we were done, we waited for Ditiro and Elisa who were doing the Half Marathon. Sadly, Ditiro got injured around the 15 km point but I’m so proud that he bravely pushed through to the finish. He has been advised to take a break from running for awhile and he seems only too happy to have an excuse to hop on his bike more often!

After the Race: As is becoming tradition after our races, we went for breakfast. We chose Lorraine’s Ntlo-Maison, a quaint little French restaurant in town as they were having a Spring-themed Brunch. The vintage bikes were a great touch! It was such a beautiful morning and after our race, we were only too happy to tuck into all the goodies on offer.

Things I Loved About The Race: The vibe and atmosphere were awesome. There was also something quite special about being in the Army Barracks at the hospitality of our soldiers. The route was interesting with different sights and sounds, and some gentle ups and downs. l think also not knowing the area very well helped keep us on our toes.

Things To Improve: The registration/ payment process was quite old-fashioned and an online process should be considered for next year. Also, the number of combis  at that time of day means that there needs to be better traffic control especially in the second half of the race where we are on the main road. Finally, my usual complaint – we need to start on time! It gets too hot and the longer we wait, the worse it gets. But otherwise, it was overall a good first effort for an inaugural race.

I can’t end this post though without giving my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the runner who collapsed on the 10 km course. He was rushed to hospital but sadly didn’t make it. I personally didn’t know him but what awful news and the last thing one expects to hear after a running event. I wish his family and friends strength, comfort and healing. 

I am linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap! I am also joining Patty, Erika, and Marcia for Tuesdays on the Run. Be sure to catch up on what all these fabulous ladies have been up to. 

45 thoughts on “BDF Mogoditshane Race (10km), Race Recap (2018)”

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  3. Congrats on a great race! I love how you keep making progress.

    That’s so sad about the runner collapsing during the 10k. You don’t often hear about that happening during a relatively short distance race.

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  4. Congrats on a great race! It seems like it was a lot of fun and you ran it strong! I also agree in quality over quantity. I now do way less races but the ones I do, I really like!

    That’s so sad to hear about the runner that collapsed at the finish line. Definitely sending prayers to his family.

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  5. I love your bright running pants! Congrats on running a strong race and enjoying the time spent with your friends as well. I agree with you — it always annoys me when races don’t start on time. I hope your husband isn’t badly injured and can return to running soon. Thanks for linking!

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  10. Great work, well done! I smiled seeing the Molepole Road because I enjoyed the No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, then I suddenly thought I wonder what actual people in Botswana think of those book and Alexander McCall-Smith writing about your city and towns. I’d love to know.

    Anyway, well done on a great strong race. How upsetting to find out about the gentleman who collapsed, that is indeed rare in 10ks and he must have had an underlying condition. It’s always very sobering and upsetting when something like that happens, though.

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    1. Haha! This got me thinking of other places I have run that you may have read in the books. One of the earlier races I did this year was the Kgale Hill Challenge – the route for that one actually passes right by the place they did most of the filming for the movie and it is a stone’s throw away from my office. For the Diacore Half Marathon in May this year – I mentioned passing through the Main Mall (where my sister and kids were cheering for me) and that featured quite a bit in the books – you may remember the President’s Hotel where Mma Ramotswe enjoyed her tea? That’s one of the main places in the Main Mall.:-)

      There were mixed reviews – some felt he had oversimplified the place and the people; while others felt he did some justice to his description of many of the places and the “essence” of the place. I for one liked the fact that lots of people who hadn’t really heard of Botswana before were all of a sudden talking about the place!

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      1. Ah, that’s so interesting, thank you! I get really cross when people portray my home town and get it wrong, so I’m glad he got it fairly right, and yes, it must have put Botswana on the map for a lot of people. Also it’s a nice and positive story and so many books on Africa we get here are so full of war and conflict – which it is important to read about, of course, but also people do live their lives and I love reading about the little details of ordinary people’s lives, imagining their daily existence. That’s what those books gave me to a great extent.

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  12. Wow! First time here and I absolutely loved reading about Botswana and the towns you ran though! It looks amazing and congrats on a strong race! I loved the pics of the hanging donuts 🙂 and the shots on the bikes are very cool. I was, of course, shocked and saddened to read about the fatality during the event. How awful for the runner and their family.

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    1. Thanks Allie for such a lovely comment! It was such a fun event and going out for brunch added to all the excitement. Loved that donot wall, such a creative touch!

      Awful news about the runner – really shook us that something like that could actually happen 😦

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    1. I am very serious about my post-race meals! Plan them long in advance, haha!
      Ditiro is now seeing a physiotherapist so hopefully he will be okay soon. He may have to reduce some of the distances for some of the races he had already signed up for, but we will see how it goes.
      Sad and scary about the runner. Last thing you really expect to hear especially for a 10 km race.

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  15. Oh wow, that’s so awful about the runner that collapsed and didn’t survive his injuries/stress/trauma. It’s hard for runners to hear about other runners losing their life doing things that help them be healthier. I am certainly praying for his family during this time, too.

    The names of the places you run just sound so elegant and beautiful! How do you pronounce Mogoditshane? Congrats on your race! And hello, could you have been any cuter at brunch? 🙂

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    1. That’s the irony – he was out there doing something making him healthier 😦 I guess he had an underlying condition that he may not even have known about. It was very sad.

      I will have to send you a voice clip of how to pronounce Mogoditshane – I won’t do it justice if I try to write it phonetically! Thank you!

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  17. Loved seeing the pictures of you and your running friends. The race sounds awesome – way to go! I hope you had one of the yummy-looking donuts after the race to go along with the fruit! 🙂

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  19. I ‘m so glad you had such a great time and I loved all the pictures and it was fun to see you all cleaned up after the race. I hope your husband recovers quickly from his injury.

    How sad that one of the runners collapsed and passed away. Immediately before my very first marathon (the Marine Corps Marathon), a spectator had a heart attack. As a result, they had to delay the start by 45 minutes as they got rescue personnel to him, but didn’t tell us what was going on (we were already in the starting chutes). Sadly, that gentleman didn’t make it either.

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    1. Oh no, how awful!! 😦 We didn’t hear about the runner at the race either but my husband did see an ambulance rushing to the hospital when he was on the return leg of his Half. But even then he says it didn’t really click that something could have happened to one of the runners. It was such a shock to hear about it afterwards.

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  20. Congrats Shathiso! Those are great splits and how nice to have gas in the tank to pick it up at the finish. That’s so devastating to hear about the runner who collapsed. I’m very sorry for his family and friends.

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