Although the first rule of hashing is there are no rules, the following points will keep the pack together and achieve the overall objective of exhausting the fast runners and allowing the strollers to have a chat & still keep up.
1. It Can't be Too Short
Measure your route, don't guess, aim for 4 miles, certainly less than 5. Choose an area with lots of criss-crossing paths, avoiding stretches of more than half a mile without a check.
2. You Can't Have Too Many Checks
Set a check at every junction, not just where you change direction. Fast runners like checks because they get to run further, slow runners like them because they get to catch up and socialise. You only need regroups when you can't set enough checks.
3. We Might Want to Come Back
Ask the landlord if we can use their car park. Where possible, inform landowners and anyone who lives near that we will be passing through. We are rarely refused if we ask but often hassled if we don't!