Larry Brede
Larry’s service to the club has been outstanding. He is a longtime volunteer in many capacities, having directed many KTC races both on the roads and on the trails. He directed the Summer Solstice 8k and Whitestone 30k for five years each, and directed trail races for Xterra and the trail committee.
He served on the KTC board of directors for many years, in the mid-2000s and again from 2014–2019, serving as both Secretary and President, helping get the club back in the black. He was part of two Executive Director search committees, as well as serving on the Road Race Committee, Trail Committee, Marathon Committee, Executive Committee, and a variety of special committees, including the KTC Hall of Fame nominating committee twice and Hall of Fame dinner chair once. He is also a longtime contributor to KTC’s Footnotes magazine.
Outside of the club, Larry is a great representative of Knoxville and the KTC in a variety of other endurance events that represent the KTC’s “Healthy Living, Healthy Community” motto. He is one of the best triathletes in his age group in the country, representing the United States at national and world championship events. He formed and is the captain of the KPL ZenEvo triathlon team, and worked with Ignite and Personal Best Racing to bring the SwimRun race format to Knoxville. He is an active member of the Knoxville Open Water Swimmers and was the Safety Director for their 10k swim in the Tennessee River.
Finally, Larry is an accomplished KTC athlete and volunteer, having raced countless KTC races over the years with many age group, Clydesdale, masters, and grandmasters podium finishes. He spent 20 years regularly winning the Clydesdale category racing, including a 7-year span where he won every Clydesdale race he entered. He has the fastest KTC event Clydesdale times at nearly every distance the club races, with terrific times at the 5k (18:01), 8k (29:37), 10k (38:01), 15k (58:46), 10 mile (1:02:44), Half Marathon (1:21:39), and 30k (2:04:10.) He’s likely the only Clydesdale to have an overall KTC race win and hold a State of Tennessee age race record. He is one of the few remaining CHKM streakers with a 2:57:39 personal best on the course.
Larry and his family have volunteered at KTC races for years, for which he’s been recognized as a past recipient of the Ginny Canfield Award.
Brent Bueche
Brent Bueche is a superior athlete who represents the KTC with his outstanding performances. He competes regularly across the state in constant pursuit of state age group records. As of June 2021, Brent held the following 18 records:
- 3k – 1 (age 57)
- 2 mile – 2 (ages 55, 57)
- 5k – 2 (ages 56, 57)
- 4 mile – 1 (age 57)
- 8k – 1 (age 56)
- 10k – 3 (ages 56, 57, 58)
- 15k – 2 (ages 56, 59)
- 10 mile – 2 (ages 57, 59)
- Half Marathon – 2 (ages 57, 58)
- 30k – 2 (ages 57, 58)
Brent has finished in the top five of the KTC Grand Prix every year since 2009, including winning the overall Grand Prix titles in 2016 and 2020. He is outgoing, very engaging with experienced athletes, and welcoming those new to the club at our races. Brent is an outstanding ambassador for the Knoxville Track Club and for the sport of running in general.
Wilbur Hawkins
A 1969 graduate of Fulton High School in Knoxville, Wilbur was an interscholastic track star, winning a state championship in the 880 yard run (1:55.3), setting a school record in the process. That summer he also went to the AAU Junior Olympics and placed third in the 880 (1:53.5).
While at tending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he was a member of the 1972 Two-Mile Relay team that finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championships and won the Penn Relays. He also qualified for the 1972 Olympic Trials at 800 Meters. In 1973, he was on the Mile Relay team that claimed 4th Place at NCAAs, again earning him All America status.
In 1973 Wilbur was President of the Black Students Association and was a member of the UTK Chancellor Selection Committee.
He became involved the following year in helping Harold Ford get elected to Congress and in 1975 served as National Competition Meet Director for the AAU Junior Olympics in Memphis.
Over the next decade Wilbur worked for TVA and as an active civil servant performed a wide range of activities effecting positive change in the midwest and southeast, and later worked on the Clinton-Gore Presidential Committee, in addition to serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development in the United States Department of Commerce.
He also served on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports focusing on sponsoring statewide games to engage the state population in healthy living, served as chair of games held in Memphis, and participated in activities and briefings to encourage fitness and health.
In 2008, Wilbur returned to Knoxville as caregiver for aging parents. While doing that, he also led efforts with area elementary and middle schools to create the KTC Youth Athletics after school running program and served as volunteer coach from 2014-2017.
Bill Kabasenche
Bill Kabasenche was one of the dominant runners in the region during his relatively short tenure as a KTC long distance runner. He still hold four Tennessee State age records at distances from 5k through 10 Mile and Half Marathon. He qualified for and competed in the 2004 Olympic marathon trials and was overall KTC Grand Prix winner in 2002. At one point Bill held the KTC course records for the Calhoun’s 10 Miler, Dogwood Classic 5k, and Strawberry Plains Half Marathon.
He’s now a professor of philosophy at Washington State University in Pullman, WA, teaching biomedical ethics to undergrads, graduate students in the sciences, and medical students. He still runs each morning, a bit slower and shorter now. But as proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Bill’s kids both took up running and between them earned five state championships in cross country and track. When not teaching, Bill likes to mountain bike and backpack in the amazing wilderness areas out in the Pacific Northwest.
He had pretty much retired from competitive racing when he left Knoxville in 2006, but one of his last competitive outings was as part of a Knoxville Track Club team that competed in the Hood to Coast Relay in Oregon in 2009. The club team finished third overall behind two teams of professional runners from Brooks and Nike.
Bill has so many fond memories of running races in and around Knoxville. His first race in the area was the 1999 Gazebo Run and got to know the Runners Market store. Eventually HOF member Bobby Holcombe got him connected with the Runners Market Racing Team, and he had lots of great races and memories running in red. Bill paced Bobby to a 5k PR the morning his daughter was born. Another Hall of Fame member, Alan Horton, is one of the folks he remembers dueling with the most. At one blazing fast Pigeon Forge Midnight 8k race, he remembers Alan on his tail the whole race and finishing within a second or two of one another.
Cherishing lots of wonderful memories, Bill is grateful to the KTC and the whole Knoxville running scene for so many great running and racing opportunities.
Kevin Pack & Samantha Pack
Runners Market owners Kevin and Samantha Pack are the longest continuous sponsors of KTC events. Their suppor t to the Knoxville running community through that store is immeasurable. They made a statement by committing to a cash sponsorship for the Wears Valley 15k before even opening the doors to the shop for the first time in September 1995.
They’ve sold thousands of shoes and other gear to members of our club over the last 26 years at a KTC discount. They keep a knowledgeable staff on hand that helps everyone from first-time runners and local luminaries to world class athletes and Olympians.
Runners Market has sponsored countless KTC events, including providing financial support and prizes when the club needed it most during lean years.
Since the 2004 inception of the KTC Team Competition, the Runners Market Racing Team has won 12 out of 17 years!
Runners Market is a hotbed for previous KTC Hall of Fame inductees. Kevin and Sam’s support of these individuals certainly contributed to their recognition in selection to the Hall of Fame. These inductees include former store managers Michael deLisle and Bobby Holcombe, as well as Runners Market Racing Team members Valerie Bachmann, Ethan Coffey, Stewart Ellington, Alan Horton, Greg Johnson, Jasmin Keller, Mike Marchant, Marsha Morton, Gina Rouse, and Kathy Wolski.
The shop served for many years as a respository for leftover awards and shirts that could be picked up by runners after races, as well as providing space for festive race packet pickups for club races.
Kevin and Sam and their family also personally volunteered at numerous KTC events over the years, giving back to the community they love.
Andee Swann
Andee Swann is one of the most consistently excellent, personable, and recognizable athletes in the KTC, her famous cheerful grin always on display even in the heat of competition. She is a regular overall and category winner at club races at all distances. She has finished in the Top Ten in the road racing Grand Prix seven times, including two overall Grand Prix victories. Andee started with KTC early as a member of our competitive team as a teenager during her successful high school career in Morristown and hasn’t slowed down since.
She excels both as an accomplished athlete and as a role model in the running community. She has mentored other runners by being an example of what it means to love the sport of running. Not only does she encourage others through acts of kindness, but she also exhibits humility. Andee may never tell anyone of her state records or how many races she has won or how many miles she has logged, but everyone should know of her running achievements.
- 2006 Knoxville Marathon Overall Winner
- 2 Mile state age record holder (33)
- 10 mile state age record holder (41)
- KTC Grand Prix overall wins in 2006, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018
- Placed in top 3 overall at KTC races ever y year since 2005
- Completed races in 27 states
- Won races in 11 states
- Placed 2nd overall or higher in 14 states
- Runners Market team member
- Served as KTC race director
Andee’s personal records include:
- 1 mile 5:13
- 5k 18:40
- 8k 30:34
- 10k 38:41
- 15k 58:50
- 10 mile 1:04
- Half Marathon 1:25
- Marathon 3:04