THE ROOTS OF A STORY
Venuste Niyongabo was born on December 9, 1973, in Vugizo, in the province of Makamba, in southern Burundi. This is where he spent the early years of his life and attended school, where he first discovered sport and began to recognise, almost without realising it, a natural ability that would shape his future: running.
It was neither a coach who showed him the way nor a dream of glory that led him towards athletics. Rather, it was the ease with which he could run faster than his classmates that made him realise his potential. After experiencing a health problem at around the age of twelve, a doctor recommended that he take up physical activity. A few years later, at the age of sixteen, he decided to pursue athletics.
What initially began as a way to test himself gradually became something more. His first competitions, the discovery of his own abilities and the desire to improve opened up a path that would eventually take him far beyond the borders of his country.
Vugizo will always remain the place where it all began.
A TALENT THAT CROSSES BORDERS
The first major results soon follow. In 1990, at just sixteen years old, Venuste enters the international competition circuit, beginning to compete against athletes from sporting backgrounds very different from his own.
The turning point comes in 1992, at the World Junior Championships in Seoul, South Korea. At eighteen, he wins the silver medal in the 1,500 metres, bringing Burundi onto the podium at a world championship and attracting the attention of athletics professionals.
This achievement opens up new possibilities. Shortly afterwards, he is given the opportunity to move to Italy to train and continue developing as an athlete. It is a major decision, meaning leaving behind his family, friends and everything that had been part of his world until then.
Arriving in Italy is not easy. In an interview, Venuste would later describe that first year as one of the most difficult of his life: a country he barely knew, far from his loved ones and facing financial difficulties as well. A challenging experience, but one that would profoundly shape him.
His sporting career continues to progress. In 1995, at the World Championships in Gothenburg, he wins the bronze medal in the 1,500 metres. He is no longer simply a promising African athlete: Venuste has now established himself among the leading figures on the international athletics stage.
ATLANTA 1996. A VICTORY THAT MADE HISTORY
By the time he arrives in Atlanta, Venuste has already established himself as a leading figure in international athletics. He is considered one of the favourites in the 1,500 metres, the distance in which he had made his name in previous years. Yet, in the lead-up to the Games, he makes a decision that will change the course of his story.
He gives up his place in his specialist event to make way for his compatriot Dieudonné Kwizéra, who had long dreamed of representing Burundi at the Olympic Games. It is an act of generosity that leads Venuste to compete over a different distance: the 5,000 metres, an event in which he still has relatively little experience.
On August 3, 1996, he takes his place on the track at Centennial Olympic Stadium for the final. The race remains fiercely contested until the closing metres. On the final lap, Venuste unleashes his speed and pulls away from his rivals. He crosses the finish line in 13 minutes, 7 seconds and 96 hundredths.
He has won Olympic gold.
But this victory goes far beyond sporting achievement. Burundi is going through one of the darkest periods in its history, marked by civil war and deep internal divisions. In this context, Venuste's success becomes a shared moment of national pride, capable of transcending differences and divisions.
Venuste has not won for himself alone. He has taken an entire nation to the top of the Olympic podium, becoming the first Olympic champion in the history of Burundi.
From that day on, his name and the name of Burundi have become forever intertwined in the history of sport.
BEYOND THE CAREER · A NEW VISION OF SPORT
After years spent competing on the international stage, Venuste finds a new home in Bologna. Here, far from the competitions that defined his career, a new idea begins to take shape: to remain connected to sport by sharing with others the knowledge and experience he has gained at the highest level.
This is how Run Like Us was born, a sporting project founded by Venuste Niyongabo, with the ambition of creating a community where passion, expertise and sporting culture come together. A project open to everyone who wants to take on the challenge of running, regardless of their starting level or personal goals: from those taking their first steps in athletics to those preparing for a competition, as well as athletes looking to continue improving their performance.
His international experience, built through years of competition and professional involvement in the world of sport, becomes the starting point for a journey centred on the quality of training, personal development and sharing.
Because in running, just as in sport, there is no single finish line. Everyone has their own path, ambitions and challenges. Run Like Us was created to accompany them all.
A COMMITMENT THAT GOES BEYOND RUNNING
The Run Like Us project is part of a broader vision that Venuste also pursues through social and international initiatives.
In 2022, he founded the Fondation Vénuste Niyongabo, a Burundian non-governmental organisation of which he is president. The Foundation was established with the aim of contributing to the development of his country through projects focused on education, healthcare, food security and training. It represents a concrete commitment to maintaining strong ties with his roots and creating new opportunities for future generations.
For several years, he has also served as president of Amici di Beatrice, a Bologna-based association with which he shares a commitment to solidarity and educational projects in Burundi. Its initiatives include a sewing school and a welding school, both designed to provide young people with professional skills and new opportunities for independence.
Alongside these projects, Venuste has been collaborating for years with Peace & Sport, an international organisation that promotes peace through sport. In Burundi and across the Great Lakes region, he supports initiatives such as the Friendship Games, which bring together young people from different countries with the aim of fostering dialogue, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
Different experiences, united by a common belief: sport is not merely about competition, but a powerful tool for creating opportunities, bringing people together and driving change.