NYPD Officer Running Her Second New York Mini 10k
Watch the 2024 New York Road Runners' Mini 10K wherever you stream abc7NY starting at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 8
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Kia Copeland, a 29-year-old native New Yorker, mom, and NYPD officer, is running her second Mini 10k this Saturday.
"I like running and I feel like everyone should like running. So, I just tell people it's good for you and you just feel better when you're done," Copeland said.
Running really did change her life.
Back in 2011 when she was a junior in high school, she joined the New York Roadrunners' first "Run for the Future" class.
"It was hard at first because what they did was just run from this pole to this pole, and then, when you get to this pole, they are like there is just one more pole, just one more tree, just past this person and then it doesn't make it seem like it's that far," she explained.
As Copeland ran more and more, her confidence grew more and more.
She joined her high school cross-country team and walked on the VCU cross-country and track teams.
Fast forward a decade, and Copeland is an officer in the 20th precinct on the Upper West Side.
She is also the mother of two young daughters.
"I do want them to start running," Copeland said. "They see me run all the time, so hopefully that inspires them to start running and I hope when they get old enough, they can run the 10-k mini with me."
For now, though, Copeland plans to savor this weekend's race - one with that will have thousands of women on the course
"I love that feeling of all women running all together. It wasn't competitive like usually when you run a race," she said. "It's more like 'oh I have to help her' like she's my sister, she's my mom, she's my grandma. We want to run together. That makes it really special to be an all-women's race."
Watch the 2024 New York Road Runners' Mini 10K wherever you stream abc7NY starting at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 8
Coverage of the race, including features, interviews, and professional race begins on Eyewitness News Saturday morning.
The professional race will be available everywhere you stream abc7NY starting at 7:45 a.m. that day.
Reporting live from the event will be an all-women team of WABC sports anchor Sam Ryan and meteorologist Dani Beckstrom, along with U.S. Olympian Carrie Tollefson, host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast Ali Feller, and running advocate Jacqui Moore.
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