Hartnell track coach pushes athletes beyond their limits.

Coach Christopher Zepeda sits inside a compact office overflowing with trophies, diplomas and newspaper clips chronicling his students’ accomplishments.

Zepeda, the head coach of cross country and track and field at Hartnell College, jokingly says his office needs an expansion for more awards. His statement is not all jest. In each of the past two years, the women’s track and field team won the championship for the entire Coast Conference.

Zepeda, 39, has become a luminary at the community college in the 10 years he’s been coaching there, and in the greater Salinas running community.

His days start at 8am with three hours of training , and then two more hours in the evening. Most weeks, it adds up to 22 hours of training.

That’s Zepeda’s job, but for his students, it’s a 22-hour-a-week duty on top of school. “That’s the sacrifice they’re going to make,” he says.

So Zepeda goes beyond his job requirements and tailors his schedule to meet that of his students, who he refers to as “my kids.” Some come from low-income families. A few work in the fields. Others work in other industries to support their families. Some use running as a path to life outside Salinas.

Zepeda reminds them that their sacrifices should be used as fuel when the finish line becomes a blur.

To help his students achieve their goals, Zepeda holds year-round fundraising events to make sure the school’s restricted budget doesn’t get in the way. Funds go to buy new running shoes, traveling expenses for out-of-county competitions and sometimes the most basic athletic necessity – a good meal.

“Something as simple as breakfast or lunch,” Zepeda says. “A lot of our kids function on one meal a day, but to be an outstanding athlete you need a little more than that.”

About 60 students have gone on to win college scholarships, and two made it to the Olympic trials.

Zepeda’s drive and success also extends to outside the college and into the running community. Last year, he founded a nonprofit called the Salinas Valley Elite Running Club, where civic-minded runners get together to hold fundraising running events for local causes. Later this year, the club will organize its first road race, with proceeds going to youth distance running programs and athletes. Meanwhile, club members motivate each other to get out and run to improve their health and to explore new trails all over Monterey County.

Eric Palmer, a member of the Elite Running Club, sees the potential for Zepeda’s leadership to have a community-wide impact. “He wants to make Salinas better and healthier,” Palmer says. “The bigger the program gets, the more people will be inspired to be healthy.”

As Zepeda helps people become better athletes and fitter individuals, he hopes the mentality spreads, one runner at a time, to create a healthier community. To do that, he plans to funnel more money to low-income students pursuing a running career, to demand more trails and open spaces in Salinas, and to host more running events that can bolster aid for local nonprofits.