The London Landmarks Half Marathon: Team Advocate!

Our brilliant London Landmarks Half Marathon runners

We’re delighted to introduce our amazing ten runners taking on the 2019 London Landmarks Half Marathon on 24th March 2019!! From novice to expert, all our participants are united in their cause: to raise vital funds for access to justice. 

This is the second year of the race, and the first time Advocate is entering a team. It’s the only half marathon to pass through both the City of London and the City of Westminster. Our runners will take in some iconic London sights including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard and the London Eye to name just a few! Paying homage to their cause, they will also loop legal London and the Royal Courts of Justice, so their motivation for the challenge will never be far from their thoughts or their feet. 

Running for justice are… 

Simon Gledhill is a barrister at 3 Temple Gardens. Last year he achieved a Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon whilst wearing barrister robes! He’s hoping to beat his time of 1:48:01. He says “Now, more than ever, it seems to me that it is important to lend what support we can to allow access to justice where it is really needed. Advocate is at the forefront of ensuring that is done.” His fundraising page can be found here 

Charles Hale QC is a barrister at 4 Paper Buildings. He is looking forward to running this half marathon to raise money for access to justice, a cause he strongly believes in. His fundraising page can be found here  

Matthew Fraser is a barrister at Landmark Chambers, who has previously volunteered for Advocate while training for the Bar. He is a keen runner, taking on a number of charity challenges, but as yet, hasn’t done the London Landmarks Half! His fundraising page can be found here  

Nick Jelfs is a Marketing Manager at GAM. He is taking on the half marathon for all the people who are locked out of the justice system who Advocate helps on a daily basis. His fundraising page can be found here  

Tim Jones is a former volunteer at Advocate so has seen at first hand the difference that a pro bono barrister can make to someone facing court alone. He is keen to raise funds enable us to help even more people. His fundraising page can be found here  

Matthew Lavy is a barrister at 4 Pump Court. He is excited to race past some of London’s iconic landmarks and the very familiar sight of legal London to help support our work. His fundraising page can be found here  

Chloe Lee is an Advocate Caseworker as well as an LEF-Funded Justice First Fellow caseworker and future pupil at Spire Chambers. Working closely with the people that we help, she is keen to give something back and to enable us to offer help to those who need it most. Her fundraising page can be found here 

Alex Luria is an architect at Jestico and Whiles. Conscious of the cuts to Legal Aid, he is running to support our work to give people in challenging legal situations the representation they need. His fundraising page can be found here  

Hugh Welch is a senior partner at Muckle LLP. Having taken up running up a hobby ten years ago, he has since completed an impressive list of marathons and ultra marathons. This is his first time fundraising for a charity with his running, and he is looking forward to raising money and awareness for Advocate in the north east. His fundraising page can be found here  

Jaimie Whitely is a trainee solicitor at Nelson Myatt Solicitors LLP. Jaimie strongly believes that an individual’s personal circumstances should not be a barrier to anyone accessing our justice system, and is running to raise money to help those unable to afford the legal advice they so desperately need. Her fundraising page can be found here 

It’s a tough challenge, but our runners will be spurred on by their passion for access to justice. These runners are going the extra mile – all 13.1 of them! 

David, a victim of domestic abuse, recently applied to us regarding care arrangements for his four-year-old son, who was in care at the time. We were able to match him with a volunteer barrister who successfully represented him in court, ensuring that David would be the child’s primary carer and that the child would have defined contact with his mother. Now the whole family can look forward to a more stable and certain future.  

David said: “I find it hard to stand up for myself. If Advocate had not provided me with a barrister I don’t know what I would have done. The barrister was absolutely marvellous and helped tremendously in court.” 

We want to make sure that people like David always have someone to stand up for them. Our amazing runners are raising awareness of access to justice as well as vital funds that will enable us to match hundreds more people like David with the right expert legal help at the moment it is needed. 

For further information or to register your interest for next year’s event, please email communcations@weareadvocate.org.uk.