This weekend, Preloved Sports are at the London Marathon Running Show - here's why their story might just inspire your next ACTion

This weekend, while thousands of runners are picking up their race numbers at the London Marathon Running Show at the Excel Centre, one stand will be doing something a little different — not selling the latest kit, but giving old kit a second life. Preloved Sports CIC will be there, hoping to reach the 200,000 people expected through the doors, and the story of how they got there is worth telling.

How the idea started

Preloved Sports was founded in March 2021 by Michael and Natalie Hill, just as the country was emerging from lockdown and many were tentatively lacing up their trainers again.

From the start, their focus was on helping people — specifically those who wanted to get active but couldn't afford the equipment. By collecting, reselling, and redistributing donated sportswear at affordable prices, they set out to ensure that participation in sport didn't depend on your background or income. The happy consequence of that focus is that thousands of kilograms of kit that might otherwise have ended up in landfill have instead found a new home and a new purpose.

They didn't start big - they just started

The early days were humble. On launch day, the entire stock sat in three plastic tubs. Today, the organisation ( based in York, UK) operates from two lockups, with 20 supermarket crates and a growing mountain of donated kit. The team has grown too — from founders Michael and Natalie, to a four-person CIC following the additions of Jack Slocombe in 2022 and Andy Norton in 2024.

What has the impact been so far?

The numbers speak for themselves. Preloved Sports has processed over 750 orders and kept more than 2,300 kg of sportswear out of landfill through resale, redistribution and repurposing.

Around 70% of donations are redistributed to charities and organisations supporting refugees, homeless people and young athletes — a remarkable ratio that reflects the community-first ethos at the heart of the CIC.

London Marathon Running Show partnership

But as of this month, they are stepping onto an even bigger stage with their first stand at the London Marathon Running Show at the Excel Centre — an event that will see 200,000 people pass through the doors.

Preloved Sports are also part of our sister organisation, Re-Action Collective — a growing community of almost 70 members who are all, in their own ways, challenging the take-make-use-dispose model of the sports industry.

As with ACTionism, what makes being part of Re-Action so powerful is that it shows its members know they are not doing this alone. They've found the others to cheer them on, share ideas with, and draw inspiration from — and they bring just as much inspiration back in return. That exchange of energy between members is exactly what the collective is built on.

What could your version of PLS three plastic tubs look like?

What started as three plastic tubs and a good idea is now a CIC that keeps tonnes of kit out of landfill and gets it to people who need it most. Michael didn't set out with a grand master plan — he just took a small action, in memory of his dad, and kept going.

So here's the challenge: what's the small action you could take?
> Maybe it's a bag of kit sitting in your wardrobe.
> Maybe it's a conversation with your running club.
> Maybe it's an idea totally unrelated to sport, but something you've been sitting on.

> Or maybe you'd like to make a donation to PLS fundraiser to help them increase their reach and impact

You don't need a lockup full of crates to get started. You just need to begin.

Visit Preloved Sports and check out their online shop of repurposed sports kit here.