Stephanie Diaz and the Power of Representation in Running
I am Latina, a first-generation Colombian American. Growing up, I didn’t know you could run for fun. My mom would only run when she was trying to lose weight and get smaller. Plus, we didn’t have much money. I couldn’t participate in sports because we couldn’t afford it. Besides, there wasn’t time. As soon as I was old enough, I found jobs and spent all my time outside of school working, so that I could have money for myself, and so that I could help out the family.
I didn’t think about running until I became a mom. My daughters were two and a half years old and six months old. Looking at them, I saw a future of limitless possibilities of who they could be and what they could do. I wanted more for them than a message of smallness and pretty smiles. I wanted my girls to grow up embracing their bodies and seeing exercise as a lifestyle and means of self expression, not as something that was done just to fit into a dress.
As scary as it was for me to start something completely new as an adult, I sought out a local running group and allowed myself to, well, actually learn how to run! I went from not knowing that running was a thing people did for fun to developing a group of friends I now call family. While we are all from different backgrounds of Latinidad, we are all chasing goals and rewriting the story of being mother-runners who are raising the next generation of tough and courageous girls!
When I first started running 13 years ago, I would never have imagined it becoming the life-changing force it is for me today. I have now run over 200 road races across the world, and many of them with my kids, whether pushing them in the stroller or with them running alongside with me!
Stephanie Diaz (right), pacing and running with her daughter, Catarina, in the Miami lululemon 10K
The 2023 London Marathon was the most pivotal race for me, because it rewrote the negative narrative I held about myself not being able to run marathons. I crossed that finish line in front of Buckingham Palace with a huge smile and with the fire lit inside me. I wanted to do it again! That race reminded me about how racing can be fulfilling apart from chasing specific finish times, and it also proved to me that running for enjoyment could go hand-in-hand with doing something hard (and seemingly impossible).
The older I get and the more aware I become of the impact of athletic training for a woman’s long-term health and wellness, the more I find value in seeking enjoyment in the sport of running. Whether someone is training for a time goal, using running as a form of stress relief, or simply leaning into the self-proclaimed “hobby jogger” status, running is ultimately a choice that we are fortunate enough to possess. It is a privilege to get to run. It is a privilege to get to train. It is a privilege to get to move!
Why not remember to have fun in the process?
Running has helped me realize that I am someone who can do hard things. I have also realized that complaining about the hard things that I signed myself up to do is simply making things harder for myself. Sometimes, it helps to zoom out from the day-to-day of running in order to remember that one run – whether labeled as “good” or “bad” – does not make or break me, nor does it define me.
What actually defines me?
My strength. My resiliency. My willingness to keep showing up for myself, my family, and my community.
Where I live in Miami, there is a large, Latin community and presence. Representation here is not as much about race and culture as it is about pace and inclusivity. There is a lot of hesitation for runners who have tried joining group runs where “all paces are welcomed,” but who find out minutes into the workout that their paces did not meet the group’s unspoken standard, as they are left behind. While there are structural barriers that present a real challenge for people to access the running routes along the coast, in my opinion, the biggest barrier that many face is the lack of an environment where all abilities are truly accepted, welcomed, and celebrated. People will make the effort to get to the spaces where they feel seen, safe, and supported. If we create the space, the people will come!
I want to shift the conversation in running from how things look to how things feel: can we focus less on metrics and more on a person’s journey? Can we be brave enough to expand our definition of what it means to be a runner, beyond pace and size? Can we celebrate all the wins, whether it is qualifying for a race or simply being consistent? I want the next generation to know that it’s ok to show up as you are, in the season of life you are in; you don’t need to do anything to fit in. Just because you see things being done one way, doesn’t mean it’s the only way to do it! Every journey is different, and every journey matters. #diversewerun
Find Stephanie Diaz on Instagram at @thecookierunner. She also hosts Correr Running Retreats, and she is the host of The Runner’s Round Table Podcast. Stephanie is an RRCA and McMillan certified running coach. Click here for more information or to work with her.
This story is a part of a feature series in collaboration with writer and activist Carolyn Su, who is the co-host of the Making Strides Podcast and creator of the story-telling platform, Diverse We Run. Together, the 26.2 Foundation and Diverse We Run seek to spotlight the running journeys of BIPOC athletes, in order to bring awareness and understanding of the experiences unique to the BIPOC community so that we might create a more equitable and accessible future for the sport.
