Community EventDallas, TX4,198 Participants2025

Dallas Katy 5K

Full Ops

ClientFriends of the Katy Trail

Org TypeNonprofit 501(c)(3)

Event Type5K / Evening Run

LocationDallas, TX

Year2025

BeneficiaryKaty Trail maintenance & preservation

Participants in 20254,198

Annual Event28th Year

Services Delivered

Full Event OperationsPermittingRace TimingSite LogisticsVendor ManagementVolunteer Coordination

Project Overview

The Trail That Runs Through Dallas.

The Katy Trail is a 3.5-mile paved urban trail through Uptown Dallas, built on a former railroad corridor and maintained by Friends of the Katy Trail — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has operated since 1997. The Katy 5K is the organization's primary annual fundraiser, now in its 28th year.

The Dallas Katy 5K is a Thursday evening 5K run along one of Dallas's most iconic urban trails, now in its 28th year. ESW manages full event production for Friends of the Katy Trail — the nonprofit that built and maintains the 3.5-mile trail through some of Dallas's most active neighborhoods. With 4,198 participants in 2025, this is the organization's signature annual fundraiser.

Friends of the Katy Trail was established in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, created to construct and maintain the Katy Trail in a private-public partnership with the City of Dallas. The trail itself has deeper roots — the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad, nicknamed 'the Katy,' was built by Union Pacific in 1865. The 5K, now in its 28th year, predates the trail's official opening and has grown alongside it.

The Scale

4,198Participants in 2025 — a record year

28 yearsThe 5K has been running since before the trail opened

$1.5M+Per year the 5K helps maintain the trail

01 / 06

How We Made It Happen

An Evening on the Trail, Perfectly Executed.

The Katy Trail runs through dense residential neighborhoods, which means trail permitting, residential notifications, and careful site placement are part of every production cycle. The race runs on a Thursday evening, requiring tight setup and teardown windows around the trail's regular public access hours. ESW handles all operational elements for Friends of the Katy Trail.

Trail Permitting & City CoordinationPark permits, trail access agreements, street closures, and residential notification for the Thursday evening event.

Race TimingChip timing deployment along the trail route, with a real-time results portal and age group awards management.

Site LogisticsRegistration setup, bag check, and finish line infrastructure for race day.

Vendor & Sponsor ManagementPlacement and day-of management for post-race activations and sponsor presence in the finish area.

Volunteer CoordinationCourse marshals, aid station staffing, and finish line crew recruited, trained, and placed across race day.

From The Field

The Moment That Defines It

Byron BrownAccount Manager

“4,198 people showed up on a Thursday night to run 3.1 miles through Uptown. That's not a race result — that's a community showing up for something it loves. Our job is to make sure the experience matches that energy.”

The Result

The Katy 5K drew 4,198 participants in 2025 — a record year for the 28th annual event. ESW manages full event production for Friends of the Katy Trail.

4,198

Participants in 2025

A record year for the 28th annual event.

Years Running

One of Dallas's longest-running community 5Ks.

100%

Trail-Based

Entire course runs along the Katy Trail.

From The Field

Work With ESW

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