If you are day-hiking with a random Meetup group, you are going to get a lot of variation in experience, and some people will fall behind. It's up to the group

If you are day-hiking with a random Meetup group, you are going to get a lot of variation in experience, and some people will fall behind. It's up to the group leader to decide what to do next. Did we decide to have a sweeper? Is this a vigorous or easy hike? Should we split up into smaller groups? Should we set a waypoint? Does everyone have a trail map? Are we making good time? If you are hiking the Appalachian Trail with a group of people, it is impossible for everyone to hike the same pace. You will always end up splitting off, either with one or two people, or by yourself. Later on you will meet up with the larger group. But besides pace, it would also drive you insane to hike for 6 months next to the same people. Different people also need food, water, and rest in different amounts. Maybe you just want to stop and smell the flowers more often. These [among other] reasons are the inspiration for the phrase "Hike your own hike." This same principle applies at events like Burning Man, where it is expected that people will wander off and do their own thing, because the whole purpose is to practice self-reliance. Hiking is another place to practice self-reliance. Yes, you may want someone to stick around and wait for you, but don't push that expectation on them. On the other hand, if you feel unsafe and need someone to stick around, tell them that before you begin hiking, because they may rather not hike with you.