run
The horizontal distance to which a drift may be carried, either by licence of the proprietor of a mine or by the nature of the formation; also, the direction which a vein of ore or other substance takes.
run: the surveyed path and limits of underground excavation
A run in mining is the horizontal distance and direction that a drift, adit, or other underground working is permitted to extend from its starting point. It defines both the length a miner may excavate and the compass bearing along which that excavation proceeds. The run is either granted by the mine owner under the terms of a mining lease or claim, or it follows naturally the strike and dip of the ore body itself.
The term carries two distinct but related meanings. First, it refers to the actual extent of the working, typically measured in feet or metres from the portal or shaft. Second, it describes the direction the vein or formation takes as it progresses through the rock. A miner might say "this run extends 300 feet northeast" or "we've hit good ore for the full run of the claim." The run is therefore both a distance limit and a directional constraint, fundamental to planning underground geometry.
Runs and claim boundaries
In alluvial and shallow deposit mining, a run often corresponds to the boundaries of a mining claim or licence. The proprietor grants permission to work within a specific run, and miners must not exceed it without negotiating new rights. In hard rock mining, the run frequently follows the natural trend of the mineral vein. Where the vein pinches out or changes character significantly, the run may end, even if the claim extends further.
Run length varies enormously depending on deposit type and ownership structure. Alluvial runs might span only 50 to 100 feet along a creek. Deep hard rock runs can extend several hundred feet along a vein's strike. Historical records from Cornish, Australian, and North American mines show runs formally recorded and mapped as part of lease documentation, with disputes arising when miners exceeded their run or worked outside the stated direction.
The word derives from the straightforward sense of something extending or proceeding in a direction, common in 18th-century mining English. It remains in current use in underground mining terminology, particularly in jurisdictions with historical mining traditions where claim structure and vein geometry are closely tied to legal rights and physical feasibility.