Now that the weather has cooled, Obiter has noticed a definite increase in the number of, er, distinguished-looking individuals in running shorts padding around the vicinity of Chancery Lane. Yes, members of the judiciary and branches of the legal profession are limbering up for the next Bar v Bench 10-kilometre run.

The race, the brainchild of former bar chair Sam Townend KC, has previously been held as part of the London Legal Walk, the giant fund-raising event for the London Legal Support Trust. Now the run, also in aid of the trust, is to become a stand-alone event. On Wednesday 30 September up to 150 members of the legal sector will rise before dawn, lace up and race. 

Townend will again captain the bar team, Mr Justice Constable will lead the judiciary team, and Mark Evans and Ian Jeffery, president and the chief executive for the Law Society, will champion the solicitor team.

Townend says: 'The UK court systems are adversarial in nature. It is great fun, in a friendly way, to take this out on to the race-track and all in a great cause: to make justice more readily available for all and to raise vital funds for the free legal advice and representation sector.'

The event is sponsored by Secretariat. If you are a judge, barrister or solicitor and interested in participating in Bar v Bench please email signups@llst.org.uk. Couch potatoes can follow on social media; just search #BarvBench and see who is crowned fastest team in the legal sector. 

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