Trail running and responsibility

This weekend, I organized a trail run in Patapsco State Park that had two options, 6 miles and 8 miles in length. I did through a Meetup group that I normally run with. Out of the 10 people who came to the group run, only three had run trails before. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, because it would be a good introduction to trail running: half paved road, half rock/root/hilly trails. It was a misty rainy day, but the temperature was great for the run.

We all decided to run back to the cars together. We were making an effort to look after the slower runners, with the goal of losing no one. One woman, with GPS phone/maps, said she would just walk the last mile, and that she was OK. We told her we would wait for her at the cars. Well, after 20 minutes, she was a no-show. A couple of us went out to the trail and started running in reverse to find her. No luck. Her sister, who had also run with us, called and texted her, but it just went straight to voicemail with no response. After 20 minutes of looking, we got a little more nervous. We ended up leaving without her, and her sister was calling the ranger station to get help. I felt bad leaving, but I had M sitting in my parking lot waiting for me.

An hour later, I got a text from the sister that they had found her. She got lost walking, and she had no signal. After this experience, it will probably be the last trail run that I host. The worry about a lost runner, particularly a young woman with a dead phone, was definitely not worth any of the benefit that I got out of the run. I felt personally responsible for her safety and well-being, even though she is an adult who was capable of making her own decisions. I'll continue to run trails, but I won't head out as an organizer again.