The Dead Runners Society (DRS) is a worldwide

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" or ...

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

club. DRS is notable for its unusual role in the development of both the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

and the sport of

. Founded by Chris Conn in 1991 as an

electronic mailing list A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is re ...

, DRS pre-dates widespread use of the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web se ...

. It is an early example of a

virtual community A virtual community is a social network of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual communi ...

formed around a non-professional topic. Many early DRS members were computer professionals, librarians, academics and researchers. Membership broadened with the growing use of

email Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic ( digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" meant ...

in the mid-1990s. Annual World Conferences have been held since 1993.

Other DRS lists

The original DRS group, known as "the big list," now has about 1,700 members. Over the years, more than 20 sublists have been formed. Some deads subscribe to one (or more) of the sublists but are not subscribed to the big list or have set NOMAIL option on the big list. Sublists have a geographic or thematic focus. * An example of a geographic group is the SOBER Deads (Southern Ontario and Buffalo Expired Runners). * An example of a thematic group is TRI-DRS. for dead runners who are interested in triathlons, duathlons, and other multi-sport events. It was founded by Loreen Kail. * DRS-readers and DRS-mind are examples of thematic groups for discussions. Three Dead Runners Society groups also operate on the

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social networking A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...

website.

Members

DRS members are known as "deads". Online discussion includes everything from

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

training—and even topics only marginally related to running. Deads also meet regularly at races. Deads range from beginning runners to elite athletes. One dead holds the world record for the one mile run for women age 70 and older. Other deads are coaches, race directors, writers and editors of running magazines, and developers of running-related

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. Deads say the civilized level of discourse and strong sense of

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...

sets DRS apart from other mailing lists.

Terminology

Over the years, the group has adopted, adapted, and coined various terms. Among them: * ''Clydesdale:'' a heavy runner. * ''Encounter:'' a face-to-face meeting of Dead Runners. * ''

Filk Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s. Etymology and defin ...

:'' In DRS parlance, a running-related song in which new lyrics are written to an existing tune. * ''Goomies:'' Post-run snacks and drinks, e.g. bagels, bananas, sports drinks, and water. * ''Penguin:'' a slow runner (coined by John "the Penguin" Bingham). * ''ORN:'' Obligatory Running Note. A brief note about a run appended to a message with no other running content. * ''VRP:'' Virtual Running Partner. A dead who encourages another via private email. * '' YMMV:'' Your Mileage May Vary. In DRS parlance, you may react differently to the shoe, medical treatment, training program, or other matter under discussion.

History

The list founder is Chris Conn, a runner and

software engineer Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development. A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term ''p ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

. The Dead Runners Society is incorporated in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

as a

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Name

The Dead Runners Society's name derives from the film ''

Dead Poets Society ''Dead Poets Society'' is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir, written by Tom Schulman, and starring Robin Williams. Set in 1959 at the fictional elite conservative boarding school Welton Academy, it tells the story of an English t ...

'' which had as its motto

Carpe Diem is a Latin aphorism, usually translated "seize the day", taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace's work ''Odes'' (23 BC). Translation is the second-person singular present active imperative of '' carpō'' "pick or pluck" used by Horace t ...

—Seize The Day. The Dead Runners Society amended this to Carpe Viam—Seize the Way (or Seize the Roadway).

DRS conferences

Since 1993, the DRS has been holding annual conferences in different cities, with the abbreviation DRSWC''n''. To encourage attendance, the host city generally creates a Web-based guide to their city's attractions. * 2014, World Conference 2014: San Diego, California, U.S.A. * 2012, World Conference 2012: Austin, Texas, U.S.A. * 2010
World Conference XVIII
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. - CANCELLED * 2009
World Conference XVII
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. * 2008
World Conference XVI
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.A. * 2007
World Conference XV
: Torino,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

* 2006, World Conference XIV: Toronto, Ontario, Canada * 2005, World Conference XIII: Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. * 2004, World Conference XII: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. * 2003, World Conference XI: Cupertino, California, U.S.A. * 2002, World Conference X: Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. * 2001
World Conference IX
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. * 2000, World Conference VIII: New York, New York, U.S.A. VIII * 1999, World Conference VII: Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. * 1998
World Conference VI
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. * 1997

Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A. * 1996

Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. * 1995, World Conference III: San Francisco, California, U.S.A. * 1994
World Conference II
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. * 1993, World Conference I: Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.A.

Books and tools by dead runners

Virtual (or long-distance) training and coaching is one of the benefits of belonging to DRS. Some members have created Web pages for running advice. A few have gone further and transferred their accumulated knowledge to paper or software applications. A few examples follow: * ''Marathoning for Mortals'' by John BinghamBooks by John Bingham * ''Hal Higdon's Beginning Runner's Guide'' and ''Marathon: the Ultimate Training Guide'' by Hal Higdon * Excel Running Log by Alan Rubé and David S. Hayshttp://www.davidhays.net/running/runlog/runlog.html Running Log

References and external links

* Bingham, John (2002) ''No Need for Speed'', Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press * Cobb, Nathan (1993) ''On-Line Athletic Club Keeps Conversation Running'', Boston Globe * Hill, Craig (2008) "Dead Runners Will Join Field of Tacoma Race", Seattle News Tribun

Dead Runners Society Central

Dead Runners Society World Conference

Dead Runners Society Italia Home Page

Chris Conn's DRS Page
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723172345/http://storm.cadcam.iupui.edu/~cmcgoat , date=2008-07-23 Running clubs Road running Internet forums Sport websites Non-profit organizations based in Texas 1991 establishments in the United States Road running in the United States Sports clubs and teams established in 1991