Bret Devereaux

What while carrying that big ass Hoplon? How would you do that?

Badly. The outrunners were mostly an ineffective stopgap measure for a hoplite force that was caught without adequate support troops. If you needed outrunners you were already in deep shit.

I think it's more a matter of "cover all available ground to some degree" if for no other purpose than to watch for surprises. But if they're out there, they may as well do some harassment in the process. A scout/skirmish/lookout tactical force for the restless/reckless sorts.

There is no such force in the sources for Classical Greece. This sort of task would be taken on by peltasts or, at Sparta, by the Skiritai.