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 2010 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 Winston Salem 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 is a collegiate Head Cross Country Coach at Friends University which is a nationally competitive NAIA program based in Kansas. Sam has been helping runners since 2015 but has started making it his main priority in the sport since 2020. This was through coaching at a local running store and offering advice on all things within the sport such as nutrition, injuries, training and even running shoes. 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.
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.