Would you leave a friend behind?

[BurpeesAreTheWorkOfTheDevil]

If 2 people at different levels of fitness take part in a sponsored event for charity would you expect the faster to slow down to walk with their friend or get on at their speed and meet at the end?

There's a time limit on checkpoints, if you're not there in time you can't carry on.

I did a charity half marathon once. My much faster (and fitter) friend did it with me. She ran ahead whilst I plodded on at my own speed. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

(Not only did she do an amazingly fast time, beating lots of Male and Female 'professional' runners, she actually ran back to me after getting her time clocked - I think she did an extra 6 miles or so!)

As above - I'd be the slower one and a) wouldnt want the other to miss the checkpoint and b) nobody needs to hear me huffing and puffing and swearing my way round.

I think it depends on a few things. Were the arrangements made to do the event "together"? Did one person ask the other to do it with them?

I did a 5k event a couple of years ago with a friend - only because she asked me to go with her - I wouldn't have done it otherwise. My understanding was that we were doing the event "together" - by which I understood - start together, go round together and finish together. About half way round she decided she was going to leg it off on her own. I was so pissed off that I walked the remainder of the course. She was then annoyed because I had driven us there and she had to wait for me to finish before she could go home. I felt like she had only asked me so that I could drive her there and home again. If she'd asked me to do that then I probably would have anyway - and looked after her stuff and cheered her on from the side and been there at the finishing line for her.

So for future I would always ask someone what they intended. I don't particularly like running - but if someone wanted a companion then I would train with them and do it with them as long as they promised that it would be at my pace. Alternatively if they wanted to run and try and get a PB then I'd rather they were honest and told me so. I could then judge whether I could keep pace with them.

Depends what it was and who I was with I guess

DH and I have done a 25 mile sponsored walk a few times. We stay together.

You have to have started by a certain time and to have got to the last checkpoint by a certain time to ensure you can do the last bit before the marshalls finish, so we just mooched together.

We’ve done it with friends before, and we just start together and meet up at the end - we all usually catch each other up dragging up the last massive hill anyway

Lots of running clubs take part and that’s every person for themselves.

Discuss it beforehand. And yes, I'd expect to be left behind.

Oh I'd expect and WANT to be left behind.
Would feel awkward if I knew I was making my mate slow down, then I'd try to go faster and it'd probably end up with me being a sweaty mess desperately gulping on my asthma inhaler... best let everyone go at their own pace 👍

Slightly different but the first time I did park run I was ridiculously slow (am v overweight). DH had promised to stay with me and I wanted him to, I wouldn't have done it if he wasn't there with me. But he usually runs it in 20 mins and I could see he was struggling to stay with me. He would never have left, he was super supportive, but it wasn't easy for him to go so slowly. It's a bigger ask than you think.