Cyrus Burton has lived in Fullerton his whole life, growing up across the street from the Fullerton College campus.
It’s no surprise he attended Fullerton Union High School, and that’s where he joined the cross-country team representing his hometown Indians in his sophomore year.
By his senior year, he was a top performer for a cross-country team that saw the Indians qualify for California Interscholastic Federation, CIF, for the first time in 8 years.
When it came time to take his talents to the next level, Fullerton College was a no-brainer for Burton.
A true blue Fullertonian, he wanted to stay local. Also, he was able to take advantage of the promise program to pay for college.
While it’s fair to say most college athletes are highly competitive, Burton strikes a harmonious tone when asked what he likes most about running cross-country.
“The atmosphere is really nice, the culture of it. Everyone is super nice and super chill. You go to meets and you’re high fiving your competition before and after the race because everyone knows how hard it is to run a 3-or-4 mile race so everyone’s super nice to each other.” says Burton.
Burton’s goal is to run 4 miles in 22 minutes. For anyone curious what it takes to run that fast, Burton has some advice, “Core is pretty important, we do push-ups, sit-ups, but most of it is just running.”
Burton is excited for the team as well, “We practiced all summer, we put in a lot of miles, so we’re going to see what we can do. We got a pretty good team together.”
Burton is more than just a full-time student, lifelong Fullerton resident, and college athlete. He also loves comic books. His favorite comic book character? The Green Lantern.
Burton’s not just a comic book enthusiast, though; he’s a professional. In fact, in downtown Fullerton, you can find him at the Comic Book Hideout working a shift just a few blocks from the college.
It’s a labor of love for someone who would like to become an editor for a comic book company eventually.
For now, that can wait. Next up for Burton is staying in Fullerton for his four-year degree if they’ll have him.
“I’d like to run at a four-year university so my top choice right now would be Cal State Fullerton, I’d like to run for those guys. I’m not sure if I can but we’ll see,” said Burton.
There’s no doubt someday, he will achieve those goals. But for now, he’s representing Fullerton College, and we’re fortunate to have him.