THIS IS LEON PARKES
Published: 08/04/2025, by: Alex Courbat | Photography: Joseph Ironmonger
For Leon, what started as a personal challenge during lockdown has turned into something much bigger, changing the running scene in North-West London. To celebrate him joining Sports Direct as a Running Ambassador, we sat down to chat about how he got into running, his run club, and what’s on the horizon.
For Leon Parkes, football was everything. Until the age of 21, it was all he knew – his first love, his biggest focus. But over time, that passion faded. Then Covid struck and the world as we knew it came to a halt. It was during that time that Leon – just like so many of us – found himself lacing up for something new, running. “I fell in love with it,” he says. “Something that I didn’t think I would do.” At first, it was a solo pursuit, a way to escape. But as we all experienced, motivation can be hard to find when life slows down. And it wasn’t long before he realised that he wasn’t the only one in that situation. Far from it. That’s when he joined an online challenge on a group chat – just under 100 people checking in on each other, holding each other accountable to get outside and get it done. What started as a bit of a challenge or virtual support system quickly became something bigger. And the conversations sparked an idea: what if they took this beyond the group chat? What if they ran together?
“The first session, there were two people. The second session, nobody showed up. And I remember thinking, ‘Okay, what am I going to do?’”
And just like that, the run club was born. It wasn’t an immediate success, though – just two runners showed up to the first session. The next week, nobody came. But that didn’t stop Leon. He believed in the power of running to bring people together, and little by little, that belief turned into something real.
Five years later, that small idea has grown into NOV, North-West London’s largest run club. “What we’ve really focused on in the space is: can we create a diverse running community? A community that represents not just North-West London but the diversity of London itself.”
If you show up to a Monday session, you’ll see just how diverse it is – runners from all kinds of backgrounds, from Caribbean to Middle Eastern and beyond, all moving as one. “It’s beautiful to grow with everyone,” Leon says. “I never imagined this would happen, but here we are, and it’s incredible to be able to support so many different runners.”
When it comes to diversity, Leon wants to make something clear. “When we speak about diversity, people often think about ethnicity first. But we’ve got runners ranging from 18 to 50 years old,” he says. “Like Juliet – she comes back with a medal every single week. She’s a mother, balancing work and training. There are so many stories like that within the community.” With NOV’s reach growing, Leon is determined to highlight the journeys of its runners. Whether it’s a first-timer or a seasoned athlete pushing their limits, every story matters.
NOV is only the beginning, though. Leon is also on a mission to increase diversity in distance running. “There’s data that shows a lack of participation in distance running among ethnic minority backgrounds,” he explains. “We’re trying to improve that and inspire a new generation of distance runners.” That means creating something lasting, an infrastructure that ensures running is accessible and welcoming for everyone – and for the long run. Part of that infrastructure is Run the Ends comes – a running festival that’s now in its fourth year. “Every year it sells out,” Leon says. “We’ve been lucky enough to have Sports Direct’s support for the last two years, and we’re working to make it even bigger this year.”
Held in late September, the festival is a celebration of movement and community, bringing together diverse run crews. Last year, they introduced a street race with eight different crews competing, plus panel discussions with founders of various collectives. “This year, we’re expanding it into a full 5K event,” Leon reveals. “There’s a lot happening behind the scenes, so keep an eye out for updates.”
But for Leon, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other. As a sports scientist, he’s fascinated by how the body adapts and improves. For him, running well is just as important as running often. “One of the common mistakes people make when they start running is not pacing themselves properly,” he says. “A lot of people think they need to start with 5K, but that’s a lot if you haven’t run in a while. Or they try to run at a 5:30 pace when they should be focusing on building an endurance base first.”
That’s why NOV’s sessions also focus on the fundamentals – warming up properly, building endurance, and incorporating strength training to prevent injuries. And for those wanting to take it further, Leon has started blogging about training, recovery, and nutrition. “There’s so much I want to share,” he says. “How do you build momentum? How do you fuel your body for better performance? It’s all about learning how to keep moving forward.”
It's safe to say that, for Leon, running is more than just a sport – it’s a journey. One of growth, learning, and building connections – which is something he applies to his running as well. “My favourite distance is somewhere between 5K and 10K,” he says. “I started as a sprinter, so moving into distance running has been a real conversion. But the thing about running is, it’s just endless, isn’t it? You keep chipping away. The road never stops.” And with NOV, neither does the mission – to build a community that runs together, grows together, and inspires the next generation to make sure the road never ends.
