runner

In botany, a lateral shoot which grows along the ground, rooting at the tip or at the nodes to form new plants. Typical of rosette plants, runners are often markedly different from the normal shoots.

In Marvel Comics, one of the Elders of the Universe is the Runner. In interior design, a long and narrow textile, run down the length of a table or hallway.
(Non-textile runners are also used.) In a television or film crew, a Runner is a junior member of the crew, responsible for fetching, carrying and supporting the production team. The USS Runner (SS-275) The USS Runner (SS-476) In transportation, a device (typically one of a pair) under a sled or sleigh for traveling over snow or ice. In the restaurant business, a "runner" takes (or runs) the food from the kitchen to the customer. A runner, in Australian rules football, is a person sitting on the interchange bench who runs out onto the ground to deliver messages from the coach to players. In cricket, a runner can run between the stumps for a batsman who cannot run due to an injury sustained during the match. The carpeting that runs down the middle of a stairway. In climbing, a runner is a short sling made of webbing.