Two Passions, One Path
In a quiet moment on Stockholm Stadium’s tartan track, a runner’s silhouette stands by an official football at her feet. The scene mirrors the tension of a life lived across two sports. Carmen Cernjul, a young athlete from the Stockholm area, looks both proud and a touch wistful, knowing she is choosing a road that can never fully erase the other. “Yes, a little. But I know I will always have football,” she says, acknowledging the deep roots that still bind her to the game she loves.
Her childhood was steeped in football, and the sport shaped her at every turn. Yet running began as a practical addition to stay in shape, something she did when time allowed. “I would say I have dedicated the most to football over the years. Running has been a sidogrej, something I did when I had a spare moment, and it got tougher as I grew older,” she explains. The plan was never to abandon football; it was to find a way to keep both passions alive as long as possible.
A Balancing Act Across Two Disciplines
As a teenager, Cernjul learned to blend the max-effort demands of football with the endurance and rhythm of running. She recalls trading sprint sessions on the pitch for longer runs that could fit into a busy training schedule. The balance was delicate, and the body at times protested. At around 14–15, stress fractures in both feet forced a pause and a hard look at what the future might hold. Still, she believed she could manage both if given time and space to train intelligently.
Her dual pursuit remained possible for a time thanks to coaches and mentors who saw value in cross-training. “You do so many max runs on a football field; that kind of volume helps you become better not only at sprinting but for endurance and overall fitness,” she notes, emphasizing how football’s bursts can complement longer track efforts.
The Turning Point: Choosing Running Over the Club Ladder
The decision to push running forward more decisively did not come without a cost. When Hammarby IF, the club where she had risen through the ranks, outlined that the next step required undivided commitment to football, the choice became stark. “They were very clear that if I wanted to take a new step with them, I had to commit 100 percent to football. It was hard,” she admits. In hindsight, she appreciates the logic: to reach the Damallsvenskan level, the heart must beat for football first.
Ultimately, the move away from routine double-sport training was to focus on running. Yet the door remains slightly ajar—she keeps her football agent, Linus Gunnarsson, with the sense that the possibility of returning is never off the table. For now, the track calls louder. After all, it is the track that has brought her to national attention and a string of impressive performances in youth events.
Growing on the World Stage: Youth and Youthful Medals
As the years passed, Cernjul’s running began to bear fruit. She competed in major youth events: the Youth Olympic Games in 2023, the U18 European Championships in 2024 where she earned bronze over 800 meters, and the U20 European Championships in 2025 where she captured silver in the 1500 and 3000 meters. She also maintained ties with football through international camps and fixtures with Hammarby’s youth squads, underscoring how two sports continued to shape her identity as an athlete.
“The two sports have helped each other a lot and kept me going longer in both,” she says. The cross-pollination between disciplines has given her a resilience and speed that benefit both pursuits. One of her running mentors, and a source of inspiration, has been fellow athletes with football backgrounds who have carved successful routes in track and field, showing that the two worlds can feed each other rather than fight for dominance.
The Road Ahead: Olympic Dreams and a Clearer Focus
With a strong foundation in middle- and long-distance running, Cernjul now eyeing the Olympic stage in three years, is candid about her ambitions. “I have big goals to reach the Olympics,” she states, a testament to her belief that consistent training and the right opportunities can propel a dual-sport athlete toward the world’s biggest stage. She emphasizes the need for continuity in training and a relentless work ethic to maximize her potential.
For the moment, the focus is squarely on running. Yet she remains grateful for the past and the role football has played in shaping who she is as an athlete. The question remains whether she will one day return to football with the same passion that propelled her into running, or whether running will continue to be her primary sport for years to come. “If I want to take football further, I still have the option,” she says with a thoughtful smile. “But right now, I want to give my all to running.”
Inspiration from a Shared Path
In a country where multiple sports share talent pools and coaching resources, athletes like Cernjul illustrate how cross-training can create depth and resilience. Her story resonates with others who have navigated similar crossroads, from former footballers who found new life on the track to sprinters who learned to love longer distances because of the lessons football taught them about tempo, pace, and competition.
A View from the Field
As she gazes toward the grass beyond the track, Cernjul remains grateful for the chance to pursue both passions. The stadium lights may illuminate the present, but the past—games on the pitch and miles on the track—has brightened a future she is determined to chase, one stride at a time, toward the Olympic dream.
