In our new series, we profile the runners and supporters of our Legal 5K charity race. First up is Mark Evans, President of the Law Society, who ran the marathon for LawCare this year.
Mark Evans, President of the Law Society, has made mental health, wellbeing, and community central themes of his leadership for his year-long term – and running has become a powerful thread running through all three.
As the founder of LegalRunner, a running group created specifically for the legal community, Mark has built a space where lawyers and other professionals can step away from the intensity of their working lives and connect in a more open, human way. What began as his own journey from “couch to marathon” during lockdown has grown into a wider movement focused on conversation, connection and support.
A personal cause
Mark is candid about why this matters to him personally. Running, he says, has helped him process grief, family illness and life’s pressures – from the loss of his parents to experiences of miscarriage and dementia within his family. Those experiences shaped his belief that talking openly can make a real difference, even with people you’ve just met. The heart of LegalRunner reflects this: side-by-side running often makes it easier to share what’s going on in life and work, and no one in the profession should feel they are carrying challenges alone.
Under Mark’s leadership, LegalRunner has developed into a growing community supported in part by LawCare, the legal sector mental health charity. Mark has also taken part in multiple endurance challenges, including marathons and an ultra-marathon, raising funds for causes close to him such as mental health, dementia, baby loss charities and LawCare itself. Despite his achievements, he is quick to emphasise that he is not a competitive athlete – even holding two Guinness World Records simply for participation rather than winning.
Community and wellbeing
While Mark was not in country for the MD Communications Legal 5K, he publicly supported the event from afar, and also joined our central London Run Club, which took place for the six weeks preceding the event. This reflects his broader commitment to encouraging participation over performance. For Mark, the value lies in showing up, being part of something collective, and normalising conversations about wellbeing in the legal sector.
Across his presidency, he continues to advocate for a more open and supportive profession – one where initiatives like LegalRunner and the Legal 5K help build stronger connections, reduce stigma, and reinforce the importance of looking after one another both inside and outside of work.
We are also delighted that Mark was able to take part in our recent Question Time style panel discussion on purpose in law firms as one of the panel members – thank you to Mark for his insights and continuing support.
