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ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — Charlie Lawrence’s inner drive to be an elite runner has taken him to an affluent suburb of Detroit.

It’s here that the 2013 Foley High School graduate continues to pursue his passion.

“I love Minneapolis and I’m a die-hard Gopher,” Lawrence said. “But this gives me a chance to run professionally and chase that Olympic dream.”

Lawrence, 24, runs for Hansons-Brooks, a professional racing team. Lawrence made the move in February after accepting a position as ticket sales and development coordinator at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

He held a similar position at Minnesota, where he was a two-time team captain and a four-time academic All-Big Ten Conference selection in cross country running and track and field.  He earned second team All-Big Ten honors in cross country and was twice NCAA All-Region.

That was after a standout high school career at Foley, where he was a two-time state 3,200-meter champion and the St. Cloud Times’ Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2012. He still holds school records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

More: 2-Minute Drill: Foley grad qualifies for Olympic marathon trials

While at Minnesota, he was a double-major in sport management and business while earning his bachelor’s degree. He also has a master’s degree in sport management, which helped him land the job with the Gophers and now with Oakland.

Oakland is a Division I school in the 10-team Horizon League. Oakland doesn’t have football, but has almost everything else, including basketball. 

Lawrence considered re-locating to Flagstaff, Arizona, and Boulder, Colorado, to pursue his Olympic dream. But suburban Detroit was a perfect fit. It’s an ideal training area, Lawrence said, with rolling hills and excellent places to run. And, he’s six miles from his day job at Oakland University. 

“My No. 1 job is running,” he admitted. “And that’s OK. You can only read and watch so much Netflix.”

Hansons-Brooks is a running store (Hansons Run Shops) and a professional distance running team. Lawrence is happy to be in the group. It’s a lineup of heavy hitters. His teammates include big names in the running world.  

• Dathan Ritzenhein is a three-time Olympian and the former national record-holder in the 5-kilometer run.

• Brian Sell ran in the 2008 Olympics.

• Desiree Linden won the Boston Marathon in 2018.

Training with world-caliber athletes makes it easy to stay motivated, Lawrence said.

More: Where are they now? Ex-Tech star wraps up career with a national title

The training is long and hard, not that Lawrence minds. He’s running about 100 miles a week. The long-time goal is to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials in the marathon. He knows that 2024 might be even more realistic to make a U.S. team, given his age and experience. Marathon runners tend to peak between age 28-32.

“You always dream of going pro in the sport you love,” Lawrence said. “It’s incredible.”

For now, the next big race is the Bix in Davenport, Iowa. It’s part of a pro running series in which Lawrence participates. Top prize is $12,500. There are 20 athletes in the elite division. Only three are Americans. The distance is seven miles.

“It’ll be tough,” Lawrence said.”You’ve just got to compete. I hope to be the top American.”

The 2020 Olympic Trials in the marathon is Feb. 29 in Atlanta. That date is circled. What happens there determines what happens next for Lawrence.

“I want to be, at a minimum, in contention for the top 10,” he said. 

The key is staying healthy. He had his share of injuries over five years with the Gophers. (He was a red-shirt his first year).

When the running gig is over, at least professionally, Lawrence would like to be an athletic director at a Division I college. But there’s plenty of running to do until then.

“It’s awesome to be living the dream,” he said.

Follow Tom Elliott on Twitter @sctimestom or call 320-259-3661. Send an email to telliott@stcloudtimes.com.

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