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Oodi is an unassuming village in Kgatleng District, 20km north-east of Gaborone. I’ve participated in a few Y-Care Charity walks on the outskirts of Oodi and also hiked up the distinctively rounded Oodi Hill a couple of times. But I’d never run through the village itself.
So on Sunday we thought it would be fun to explore the village on the run. I’d say from our somewhat spider-shaped route, we made a pretty good effort of getting some wide coverage!
We parked at the base of Oodi Hill, strapped on our hydration packs and hit the road! We first headed towards the main road and turned right, running just over a 1km to get to the Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology which was opened in 2012.
We then headed back in the direction we had come, but this time took the right turn onto the paved road which heads into the heart of the village. We navigated our way to Oodima Community Junior Secondary School. We spotted a heavily graffitied school sign as well as an old (and now defunct) pay phone by the gate entrance. Remember those?
We returned to the paved road and worked our way back to the fork leading towards Matebeleng. This road took us to the famous Lentswe-la-Oodi Weavers which was opened in 1973 as a Swedish-initiated cooperative to provide economic stability and to empower women from Oodi, Matebeleng and Modipane. The cooperative is now owned by the weavers themselves who design and produce beautiful handwoven and hand-dyed wool wall hangings, tapestries, runners and bedspreads, with most designs depicting rural scenes, animals or traditional geometric patterns. A visit to Oodi is incomplete without a stop here.
Once back on the tarred road, we ran across the Notwane River and to the first of a long stretch of vegetable markets that line the road on your approach into Oodi from the A1.
We then returned to the Hill but as we still had a couple of km left, we added an extra loop on the left side of the hill, running on a slightly pebbly path through a small neighbourhood.
This path took us to the main road and back to the Community Hall at the base of Oodi Hill.
Five Things I Loved About Running In Oodi
Sense Of Community: As we ran along the paved road heading towards the school, it was quiet but neighbours had already started chatting across their fences. Coming from a city, this is something I miss and remember so fondly from my childhood when we didn’t have huge walls surrounding our homes. It was lovely to see neighbours talking and laughing from the comfort of their yards. We also spotted some kids playing out on the street and one girl in head-to-toe pink shouted ‘Hello’. There was a lot of music – first, a lively choir at a Pentecostal worship session, ironically, next to the blue bottle-store, then a blue truck blared gospel music as it puttered down the bumpy gravel road and finally some jazz music from someone’s yard.
Terrain For Every Runner. We ran on tarred road, pavement as well as trail, all on our 15km route. There were gentle slopes, enough to add that extra workout but without leaving you terribly out of breath. And for those looking for hill repeats or a stiff climb, Oodi Hill beckons with a concrete path all the way up to the top and spectacular views as your reward.
Quirky Signs and Shops. I love unique shops and creative signs and although there are a few hidden in Gaborone, Oodi had many more to offer! This outdoor hair salon was one of my favourites but there were several other quirky places dotted around the village.
Bravely Bold Buildings. Oodi certainly doesn’t fear bold colours and fun patterns! It may not quite be to your taste but it certainly adds a lot of character and flavour to the place.
Great Entrepreneurial Spirit: There were so many small businesses, some lining the roads, but most tucked away in people’s yards. They were car and tyre repairs, furniture upholstery, woodwork and carpentry, brick-moulding, bakeries, hair salons, bars and bottle stores, several dimausu (food vendors/kiosks) and fruit and vegetable stalls. As I ran past one stall, the fire was already roaring in preparation to roast the maize (corn) cobs.
Oodi Village was a fun place to run – navigating the quaint paved roads and taking in so many bright features, bold colours and fun signs. There was a relaxed vibe but also a subtle liveliness as people set up shop or chatted with their neighbours across the street. I would highly recommend this place to city runners looking for a slightly different experience.
Have you run in Oodi before? Which village/town do you want me to explore next? What new place have you run in recently?
#Annoucement: I’m so excited to be a Pineapple Clothing (USA) Ambassador and on my run through Oodi I felt at home in my comfortable, fun and flowery leggings! If you’re looking to jazz up your closet, use this affiliate link and get 20% off with my Coupon Code: SHACOY.
I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida on their link up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining the Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs, and Laura Norris Running! Be sure to read their blogs and catch up with other runners from around the world.
The Gaborone Runner 
What a fun place to explore! Its great that you were able to see so much on your run. It sounds like there is alot to see! I love that it has such a strong sense of community and that the neighbors all chat over their fences.
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Given we don’t know the place that well, we managed to see a fair bit! It was a great way to jazz up a long run!
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I just love these views into your world! Looks like a cute place. I love the ‘old’ payphone. I see one on my run in the forest preserve. I’ll have to share a photo.
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My parents have taken every overseas visitor they’ve ever had to Oodi Weavers! So if you came we’d do Oodi Weavers PLUS a run! How weird is it to think once upon a time these payphones were so commonly used!
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I love your run through Oodi! Seeing your photos and reading about your run makes me miss South Africa. Does “Oodi” have a meaning?
I love that small-town feeling where everyone knows each other and there’s a tight-knit community. And the Pentecostal worship right next to the bottle store is ironic. Well spotted!
It would be really cool if you could explore other small towns around Gabarone. You could make it a project for your long runs in preparation for your marathon. I, for one, would thoroughly enjoy seeing more places like this one.
Also congrats on being an ambassador for Pineapple clothing. I noticed your fun leggings and now I see where they are from!
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It doesn’t have an obvious meaning as far as I can tell. But I will try to find out from someone from there as to the origin of the name. There’s always an interesting story around place names! We were taking a photo by the bar with a beautiful soundtrack from the worship session. 🙂
You and I think alike! That’s my plan to explore other places. I know someone from Ramotswa (which is also a short distance away) and have asked him to suggest a route for me. So that will likely be next on my list. Also Thamaga which is home to Botswana’s famous pottery making place! If you know someone who has visited Botswana, they will definitely own some Thamaga pottery!
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So cool! I’m looking forward to the sequels!
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Love this post. What a great place to run. So many interesting things to see. I love seeing the pictures from your run.
Trail runs are returning. So I hope take advantage of some new scenery. Neighborhood and bike path running sure does get boring.
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I’ve been thinking of doing more village running tours so hopefully I’ll share even more soon for you to experience virtually!
New scenery makes such a difference!
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What a fun, scenic tour! Of course, I’m drawn to the artwork and graffiti. I never appreciated graffiti until I got acquainted with the elementary art teacher here (years ago). He and I organized an all-elementary art show for several years, and one of the displays featured pieces from a “graffiti unit,” where he impressed upon the students that graffiti (though often times seen as vandalism) is actually a form of art and expression. He’d have the kids draw their names and decorate the letters. I’ve never looked at graffiti the same way since…train cars ALWAYS get my full attention now LOL
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Thank you for sharing that Kim! I love that perspective – a sign of “art and expression” as opposed to vandalism. I will take a closer look the next time I see graffiti – different people telling a unique story!
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This sounds like such a fun experience! And I can’t help but notice how adorable your tights are. Love!
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Thank you! And they were so comfortable too! I was worried to wear them for the first time on a long run, but they were comfy throughout.
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I love it when you show these views into where you run! The quirky signs are fun. Thanks for the fun glimpse into what you see on your run
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Planning on doing a lot more of these in surrounding villages/towns! Gives such a new perspective.
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Thanks for always sharing your run. I too miss that small town community. So nice when I’m at mom’s just about 45 minutes north but so different in feel. Lpve how different payphones look around the world
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The payphones changed over the years too. This was the last model used but I think the first ones were red. I’ll have to see if I find one of those original ones!
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Love this post! What a fun run for you, and a peek into another world for us. Someday we should all do a post of a run tour of our various towns (or nearby town.) I’m imagining there would be lots of variety!
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I love seeing where people run! I have this series on the blog I call “We Run The World” and it showcases about 6 runners per blog who talk about why they love running in their town/city/village! I’m always on the hunt for contributors so if ever you’d like to show off your city, please let me know!
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What a great running adventure and I love all of the photos too, especially the signs and payphones. I also love your leggings – they are so fun!
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Thank you Kim! It was a lovely run and has me wanting to do more destination runs!
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How lovely – thank you for sharing your run with us! Love the leggings, too!
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It was so much fun. I’ve already identified my next destination run 😀 Hope your neighbourhood/postcode project is coming along!
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We did loads on Saturday but my friend can’t run this weekend so it’s going to be a long term project!
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Running is the best way to explore a new city or town! I would love to visit the weavers someday. Congratulations on your Ambassadorship!
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Most guests my parents ever had visiting from overseas were taken to the Weavers as one of their first stops!
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I love reading about your runs. Some of the towns you run in remind me of Mexico. Congrats on your ambassadorship! Those are fun leggings.
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I love that some of the places remind you of Mexico! That’s very interesting!
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There are many small towns in Mexico too. I’ve run there maybe once or twice but am not sure. Next time I go I will make sure to run there.
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That’s a must Zenaida! And a blog post I lool forward to! I always think of Mexico as so bright and colourful.
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Stunning!
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Thank you 🙂
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I always enjoy seeing the different nature views and foliage people encounter on their runs!
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Me too! And that’s why I love doing these little running explorations!
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