Former Royal cross country star hopes to qualify for Olympic trials
Serrano was a Highlander from 1998-2002
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

Charlie Serrano

Although Charlie Serrano isn't currently affiliated with any running team, he's hoping that by training hard now he can join the most high-profile squad of them all- the United States Olympic Team.

After storied careers at Royal High and Chico State, Serrano is now focused on making a time in a cross country or track and field race that would qualify him for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.

Serrano is hoping to qualify in either the 5,000-meter run or the 10,000-meter run.

"My coach thinks that the 10K is better for me, but I've run the 5K so many times I feel I'm better at that," Serrano said. "Although, if I make the trials, I don't care which event it's in."

Although he still attends Chico State to finish up classes for a degree in construction management, Serrano no longer runs for the Wildcats. Serrano finished up his last season running with the team in the spring, but he still runs with the squad to help prepare him for upcoming events.

"The coach (Gary Towne) is great, and he lets me run with his team while I train," Serrano said. "I know a lot of the runners from being their former teammate, but it's a little different now because I don't have to show up in the mornings if I don't want to."

Serrano is a household name around Chico State's campus, having broken a 30-year-old school record in the 5,000-meter when he ran a time of 14:06 in 2005.

That record was then broken the following year by Serrano's teammate, Scott Bauhs, who has qualified for the Olympic trials already.

"Scott and I run a lot together, and we're good friends," Serrano said. "It was a little bittersweet when he beat my record in the 5,000. On one hand it was sad that a record that I had broken fell in just one year. At the same time, it was really good for the school to have the record fall, and it was sign of good things to come."

Serrano, who's sponsored by Foot Pursuit Run Shop in Simi Valley, a store co-owned by Royal cross country coach Ryan Luce, said he currently has a rigorous training schedule that has him running close to 100 miles per week.

Last week, Serrano ran 20.5 miles in a single day.

"I run a lot of miles and long runs because I know it will give me the stamina and the extra push I need when I'm running a 5-mile race," Serrano said.

Serrano first entered the spotlight with his running when he was at Royal from 19982002. While there, Serrano said he learned a lot from Luce.

"I liked Coach Luce because he ran with us," Serrano said. "He was definitely one of the coolest coaches I've ever had, and he was always joking around with the team. I think he was a child at heart still. He always used to preach to us that consistency is the key."

Serrano said he will now race in the upcoming Stanford Invitational and the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon in San Jose to help prepare him for races in the spring, where he hopes to cut about 20 seconds off his time.

"There is no set time that will get you into the Olympic trials for sure that I know of, but I'm thinking a time in the high 13:40s or low 13:50s could do it," Serrano said. "That's what I'm shooting for, and hopefully that can get me into the trials. It would be a dream come true."