On a warm Saturday morning in June, John Paul Landing Park in Katy filled up with color. Runners pinned on their numbered bibs. Kids bounced at the start of their dash. And the LGBTQIA+ community — along with friends, families, and allies — gathered to do something Katy Pride had never done: run a 5K.
Built From the Ground Up
There was no blueprint for an inaugural 5K. Race Director Heather Tolleson says it began the moment Commissioner Lesley Briones and a local running store, Good Times Running Co., said yes to partnering, then grew into months of recruiting sponsors and rallying volunteers.
That work showed. Roughly 250 runners, walkers, and spectators turned out under temperatures pushing toward 91°F. Over 20 vendors, sponsors, and community organizations filled the festival area all morning.
A few years ago, Katy Pride was a small grassroots group; the turnout of businesses, nonprofits, and elected officials shows how far the community has come.
Among the partners was local nonprofit Trans Voices Houston, whose volunteers staffed a water station and handed out stickers the board designs and prints itself — from pronoun sets to the crowd-favorites "A Trans Person Peed Here" and "A Trans Ally Peed Here."
Barbara Kosciewicz, Katy Pride's Director of Community Service, helped plan the race. "Sometimes it's easy to focus on the negative," she said, "but events like this remind us how many kind, supportive, and caring people there are in our community."
At the finish line, seasoned runners chasing personal records crossed alongside families walking with kids and pets, all of them cheered on. For Tolleson, that was the point. "It was about creating belonging no matter where you are on life's journey," she said.
See You in 2027
Katy Pride plans to return to John Paul Landing Park for another 5K in 2027, with hopes it grows into a signature annual event — a tradition where people leave more connected and hopeful than when they arrived.
The rainbow was chased. The finish line was crossed. And next year, we'll do it all again.
Looking for more inclusive events and resources in and around Fort Bend County? Explore the rest of our directory.