It has a university, Loughborough University, and a non-league football club, Loughborough Football Club. The town has produced a disproportionate number of world-class athletes, including Paula Radcliffe, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Backley.
It is off junction 23 of the M1, and is on the Midland Main Line between St Pancras station in London and Sheffield. It is also quite close to East Midlands Airport.
In 1841 Loughborough was the destination for the first ever package tour organised by Thomas Cook, for a group from Leicester.
Loughborough is home of Ladybird Books and the Great Central Steam Railway, and formerly of the Brush Locomotive Works.