100 years of sporting excellence

History

Loughborough University's reputation for sporting excellence spans performance, facilities, expertise and working partnerships. Our global reach and impact through sport has been recognised by our status as the world’s best sporting university (Global QS Higher Education League Table 2017 & 2018).

Our global reputation is built upon a long and successful sporting heritage. The University’s founder, Herbert Schofield, had a vision that sport should play a part in every student’s life on campus. Now, over 100 years later, sport is one of the universities four strategic pillars and is a core and integrated part of the Loughborough University ethos.

Today Loughborough Sport represents many of the highest performing athletes and teams in the country. In 2016 over 80 students, graduates and Loughborough based athletes travelled to Rio to participate in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our athletes were a dominant force throughout, securing 12 medals in the Olympic competition, including 5 golds; and a further 22 medals during the Paralympic competition.

In December 2017, we became the first higher education institution to achieve accreditation to the UK Anti-doping (UKAD) Accreditation Scheme – a new education scheme which recognises the positive work being done to promote clean sport. Loughborough was awarded ‘elite’ status, the highest level available.

2018 saw us named British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) champion for the 39th consecutive year, an incredible achievement for any sporting organisation or team anywhere in the sporting world.

Sporting alumni

From alumni to collaborative partners and organisations that use campus as their HQ, Loughborough University is associated with a number of household names.

Some of the most celebrated names in sport have studied at Loughborough, including:

• Sebastian Coe
• Paula Radcliffe
• Danny Kerry
• Tanni Grey-Thompson
• Clive Woodward

In March 2017, the University appointed Olympic legend Lord Sebastian Coe to become University Chancellor. This appointment further enhances the strength and profile of the global Loughborough brand of which we're proud to be a part.

Loughborough University seems to have been part of my life for about as long as I remember. Whilst my love of athletics started in school it was at Loughborough that I began to realise my full potential with the support of world class coaches and sport scientists who worked alongside my coach and father.

Lord Sebastian Coe