Sam Lloyd-Perks (BSc, MBA, VDOT):
Sam is a self-proclaimed running nerd and is also the head running coach and founder of Team Homestretch. The British runner and coach has been competing at a high level since 2009 and in this period has competed in 16 national championships in his home country. He moved to the States in 2018 on a scholarship to run in the NCAA at Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee, upon graduating he has transitioned back into road racing and has recently won numerous races in multiple different States. Recent victories in 2021 also include winning the AAU National Cross Country Championships in Charlotte and taking the win at America’s toughest road 10k in Roanoke too. The Kansas City based runners career has taken him all over the world and has enabled him to meet many incredible runners and coaches who he has learnt from over the years. His personal bests of 15:25 (5k), 32:13 (10k) and 74:13 (Half Marathon) are some of his proudest achievements in the sport, but his future aims are focused on helping other runners achieve their goals.
As a coach, Sam has coached at the collegiate, high school, middle school levels and within the road running community since 2015 with a huge range of athletes coached over the years. He recently spent two years as the Head Cross Country Coach at Friends University where he coached numerous National Qualifiers, All-American and All-Conference performers whilst focusing on the balance of being competitive but having fun along the way.
It was in 2021 where Coach Perks founded Team Homestretch with the focus on building a positive online running community and helping develop runners to achieve their goals within the sport. Since the team has begun it has grown rapidly with members coming from all different age groups, locations, and ability levels. Recent achievements from group members range from completing their first ever 5k to qualifying for the Boston Marathon, this shows that Coach Perks has the experience to support runners from all different backgrounds.
Coach Sam’s Notable achievements as a coach:
- 8 athletes Qualified for the Boston Marathon Qualifying through Team Homestretch
- Guided 6 athletes to NAIA National Championships in both Cross Country and Track
- Coached Athletes to 3 NAIA All-American Honours in Cross Country and Track
- 2 North Carolina State Records Broken in Track & Field and Road Running
- Coached Athletes to 6 All-American Honours at the USA Senior Track & Field Games
- Over 100 athletes coached with 92% achieving a personal record in 1 distance or more
In terms of an educational background, Sam graduated from Worcester Sixth Form College in 2015 with a Diploma in Sport & Exercise Science and a level 2 Fitness Instructor Certification. He then continued to Cardiff Metropolitan University where in 2018 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport & Social Science. In 2020, Sam completed his two years at Lincoln Memorial University by graduating with a Master of Business Administration Degree. Jack Daniels is a coach which Sam admires a great deal which lead to him being a certified VDOT running coach in 2021, this is the coaching certification lead and regulated by the legendary coach.