From his early days as a youth runner to his time as a high school standout and eventually an open competitor, Bronson Venable has experienced his share of success.
But nothing quite like this.
Now 35, the former Bishop Hendricken star seems to have tapped into a fountain of youth. Capping off what’s been a banner year filled with personal bests and top finishes against Rhode Island’s finest, Venable added another highlight on Sunday morning with a win at the always-competitive Run4Kerri road race.
Under clear skies and a hot sun, Venable pulled away from a small lead pack with less than a mile and a half to go, claiming the overall title in a swift 19 minutes, 9 seconds for the four-mile course. La Salle alum Joseph dos Reis finished second in 19:23.
“I couldn’t imagine I’d be running like this,” said Venable, reflecting on a running career that spans nearly 30 years. “I did a workout on Wednesday—half-mile repeats—and my last one was 2:11. I couldn’t even dream of running 2:11 period when I was in high school. I don’t know, it’s like a newfound life. I’ve just been feeling good. I’m kind of locked in, and I’m taking pride in myself. There’s always competition to beat myself. I’m just enjoying every moment.”
On the women’s side, former URI standout Courtney Hawkins made it two straight with a wire-to-wire victory, clocking 23:31. She was followed by Bethany Steiner of Millis (23:39) and soon-to-be Coventry freshman Molly Richardson (23:48), who rounded out the top three.
Ocean State Running will add to this story
