Navigational errors affected a chunk of the field on the second week of Griffith Joggers BeSocial series of runs on Scenic Hill last Saturday.
The series features bunched starting groups to encourage a social, chatty run and the courses are varied each week depending on the weather and inclination with promotion and relegation for the less sociable.
It seems the larger groups hold together better but in race one the small group of Elio Minato, Nicole Dehnert and Anna Gesuale arrived back intact and high in the placings while John Farronato was kicked up to a later start group for unsociable conduct.
Similar treatment was meted out in the short run to Nick Altin, Gianni Chiappin and Donna Jackson who filled the top places but all crossed alone while the nine-minute group of Isabella Salmon and Breanna Restagno finished in lock step.
With no course markers, the runners need to study well the map at the start and concentrate out on the course.
In race two that Vanilla Lily track just slipped by unseen for some who then needed to backtrack.
No groups remained intact at the line, although there was quite a deal of regrouping along the way with the 12-minute group controlling proceedings. It was again the nine-minute group in the short run who showed the best teamwork as Hamish and Angus Gunn, and Isabella Salmon finished in the top 10 and with the best times.
Further promotions and relegations will be the surprise when joggers line up for race three.
Rod Bortolin deserves congratulations for being the latest jogger to reach the 3000km target, claiming the perpetual trophy on Christmas Eve.
In the hotter weather runners need to drink plenty of water in the day and hours before the run, as starting the run in water deficit is a recipe for disaster. The joggers run each Saturday at 5:30pm from the water tower opposite Pioneer Park with long and short courses available. Be early to register.
