Had they done so away from view you might have had a point but they chose to draw attention to themselves which in my view is far from normal. There are health benefits from jogging but doing it in full public glare in those curcumstances was questionable. Had they jogged down to the police station it might even have been beneficial in other ways too.
http://running.about.com/od/running101/a/mentalbenefits.htm
Ask SIL if you dont believe me, or better still try climbing that hill and see if the Mccanns would be in the public eye for long
That hill goes on and on ... and it is terribly steep. Unless the public were regular and fit keen joggers, dressed appropriately, they would soon be left behind
Those jogs not only increased the endomorphines, but also put them in touch with nature to lift their spirits and gave them the privacy to discuss worrying points, totally unheard by others. The openess of the first plateaux with amazing views and with such a "vast high" sky, alone, would be exhilerating.
I never attempted the top part of their jog. Imo, it was a mighty achievement to jog even the first part.