Austin P.O.W.E.R. 5K Organizer Sees “More of Everything” — Bigger Race, Broader Impact Ahead

Hundreds of runners and walkers came together on Sept. 20 for the annual Austin P.O.W.E.R. 5K, which promotes local engagement and development along Austin’s Soul City Corridor on Chicago Avenue. 

The race kicked off at Chicago and Mayfield, and looped through the neighborhood before stretching for three miles east and then west along Chicago Avenue. The annual event coincided with Soul City’s designation as a state cultural district and a $9 million streetscape overhaul on Chicago Avenue. 

Race organizer Malcolm Crawford said the 5K, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, is about more than running and more than one person. 

“This isn’t just about me, it’s about the community,” said Crawford, who owns the Sankofa Cultural Arts Center, 5820 W. Chicago Ave., and is executive director of the Austin African American Business Networking Association (AAABNA). The group established the Soul City corridor in 2019 and administers the state cultural district. 

“One thing we always wanted was for Soul City to be everybody’s and not just a dream or thought,” he said. “Soul City has now become ingrained in the Austin community.” 

The P.O.W.E.R. 5K traces its roots to a crime prevention initiative led by the Chicago Police Department, designed to bring residents together. The event highlights the corridor’s growing prominence as a hub for Black-owned businesses like T&C Fitness Club, 5910 W. Chicago Ave., and Forty Acres Fresh Market, 5713 W. Chicago Ave. 

The state cultural district designation, unveiled in May, expands the corridor’s north-south boundaries from Madison to Division streets and opens the area to state funding and economic development opportunities. The corridor extends east from Austin Boulevard to Cicero Avenue. 

The streetscape project, completed in the spring, added pedestrian-friendly improvements, signage, and other features designed to make Chicago Avenue more inviting for community members. 

Crawford acknowledged that while he and his fellow AAABNA race organizers weren’t the originators of the 5K, the group has taken the lead over the years. 

“We keep pushing,” he said. “A steady drink of water breaks a brick. Because we keep pushing, keep pushing, it keeps breaking and breaking, and this keeps getting better and better.” 

Crawford said the organizers hope to grow the race into one of the city’s signature events, similar to the Chicago Marathon. 

“We want thousands of people on Chicago Avenue to see all the beauty of Soul City. So, more place-making, more development, more everything,” he said.