An athlete (or cyclist) attacked while exercising had often enough been in the news to instil some fear. Running with other suggests capability to maintain a similar pace, which is not always feasible. I’ve in the recent past been privileged to experience running with groups that regularly re-group to give the slower runners a chance to catch up. While on leave in Ballito in November 2018, an invitation had been extended to me to join the Dolphin Coast Striders morning run at 05h00. They leave the meeting place together and each run according to her/his pace, either in small groupings, pairs or alone. However, they agree upfront to stop at certain points to re-group. Often the fast runners would run back to encourage the slower runners to the re-group points.
A social run, on Tuesday afternoons at 18h00 (6pm), from the Craft Beer Library, 2 Olifants Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg has a similar approach. Runners pick which distance, either about 5kms or about 10kms. For each group a front runner and a tail is appointed. The front runner briefs and leads, conscious of the pace of those following. The front runner stops from time to time, to allow for the rest of the group and especially the tail to catch up and also to brief the group about the next stretch of running. A strong runner furthermore returns to sweep and make sure everyone returns safely to the departing point.
In contrast to the above, I found that when running time trails, it can result in not only running all alone, but also getting lost if not familiar with the route. I guess the reason is the competitive character of time trails, where each try to run her/his best.
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