A Message from Our Club President

Christina Adkins, KTC President

One of my favorite quotes is by the great John Bingham.

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” ―John Bingham

That’s what I love about our running community here in East Tennessee. We may look different, run at different paces, run at different times, run different races, wear different brands of shoes, wear different kinds of clothes when we’re navigating the seasonal challenge of dressing ourselves. One thing is certain though, we’re all running in the same direction: forward.

When I first moved to Knoxville, I was a single mom, worked full time as a high school English teacher, and was in the weeds of grad school. My only hobby was to work, cook, clean, study, and keep my kid alive. He’s 11 now in case you’re wondering if I succeeded in that last part. Before I started running, I was lonely, depressed, and felt like I had no purpose in life.

The Knoxville running community changed all of that. A coworker gifted me a jogging stroller and told me to show up to a group run with him. As you know, group runs are the gateway drug to becoming a runner. I wasn’t fast, but I was consistent.

I attended most of the group runs in town with my stroller and made friends along the way. I met my boyfriend at the BBM run, created the 865 Running pages to help people find a running group, started a beer run at Sugar Mama’s which became the Friday Fun Run at Pour Taproom, switched to a 5am runner when I joined the 5@5 in Farragut, and eventually became a KTC Board Member. Like I said, running truly is a gate way drug and it led me straight to where I am today.

As the newest president of KTC, I have some ginormous shoes to fill. With any organization’s transition, we must strive towards a positive mindset and pitch in where we can. It can only get better from here.

How can you play a part in that? Be kind to one another. You never know the loads people carry when they’re running. Encourage your fellow runner whether they’re faster or slower than you. Give yourself grace. Yes, we all have setbacks, but consider them as stepping stones towards your goal. Volunteer. KTC cannot put on an event without our volunteers. You get to cheer on your friends, earn a $5-$10 discount for your service, AND maintain eligibility for the Grand Prix Competitions. It’s literally a win-win.