SAUGUS' MURAKAMI IN FOR LONG RUN.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson

SAUGUS - Just like Forrest Gump, Saugus High speed queen Shannon Murakami isn't sure why she keeps running.

One thing for sure: There's no stopping her.

The Foothill League track and field championship is Friday at College of the Canyons, and Murakami is having one of the finest girls' long-distance performances in area history. After winning the state Div. I final in cross country last fall, the 16-year-old junior is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 800 meters, and she's also been nearly unbeatable in the 1,600 and 3,200.

``When anyone else starts coming near me, I just fight to win,'' Murakami said. ``My feeling is no one wants it more than me, and when you finish first in a big meet, it's just an amazing feeling. But it's not about glamour. I just want to get faster.''

For Murakami, success has come in layers. She started as a standout soccer player before entering high school - ``These days, I think every parent puts their kid in soccer for at least a year,'' she said - before joining the Saugus' cross country team in ninth grade.

In her first season, Murakami was 10th in the state in cross country but did not make a major impact in track. As a sophomore, she blossomed in track, placing fourth in the state in the 3,200 and winning Southern Section Div. I titles in the 1,600 and 3,200.

This year, Murakami came from behind in the stretch to win the state cross country title in Fresno, and now that she's achieved national recognition in track, Murakami is eyeing a berth one day in the Olympics.

Colleges are beginning to take notice, and a Division I scholarship is expected.

``I don't know why I love running so much, because for most people it just seems like a lot of work,'' Murakami said. ``Yes, it is a lot of work, and it gets lonely sometimes just running mile after mile all by myself. I'm just happy I've always had my family, my friends and my boyfriend to support me. I don't think I could have done it without them.''

Murakami has made a lot of sacrifices to achieve greatness. While her classmates spent summers at the mall or at the beach, Murakami was running laps or traversing the hills near the Saugus campus.

Her favorite food in the world is Pazooki ice cream cookies at BJ's at the Westfield Valencia Town Center, but it's a rare treat because she's always watching her diet.

``At first, I really didn't know what to think about running because, like everyone else, I was into football and basketball, too,'' she said. ``But track gives me a feeling like no other. You just can't describe it, but there's a fire that keeps me motivated to keep on giving it all I've got.''

Murakami admits she sometimes wishes she could be ``a normal 16-year-old girl,'' but her rigorous conditioning schedule simply doesn't allow it.

``I'm not your typical high school kid, because I've sacrificed a lot to be able to run so fast,'' she said. ``People look at runners and think it's easy because it looks so easy. But the truth is it's not easy at all. I've worked my butt off. I don't think a lot of people realize that, but it's OK, because it's been worth it.''

The good news these days is Murakami has someone to run with - her 14-year-old sister, Amber, who wants to be a track star like her big sister.

``Amber's been training with me, and she can keep up pretty well - at least for a few miles,'' Shannon said.

Now that the track season is reached the elimination phase, the stakes are higher and the pressure more intense. There are league prelims, league finals, Southern Section prelims, Southern Section finals, the CIF Masters Meet, then the state prelims and finally the state finals June 3 at Cerritos College in Norwalk - a date Murakami readily admits she's had circled for quite some time.

``At this point, you can't afford a bad race even one time,'' she said.

Murakami might eventually pare down her three-race regimen and concentrate on one or two events. So far she hasn't had to worry about such matters. She's too busy leaving opponents in the dust.

gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Saugus High's Shannon Murakami won the Div. I state cross country title and has the nation's best mark at 800 meters.

David Crane/Daily News