Run

Running is when experienced players lead a group of lower level players to areas in the game that would otherwise be unreachable (or at least very difficult) for them. This is accomplished by having the experienced player(s) simply run off ahead of the party, ignore all attacking mobs and proceed to the next area. Inevitably, the lower level players cannot survive encounters with the more powerful mobs, and are killed; or they sit comfortably in a safe spot while the runners proceed.

In Guild Wars most foes are just as fast or even faster than a player character. Once a foe is in pursuit it cannot be shaken off by simply trying to run away from it; eventually players will be forced to fight back or heal themselves. Hence, a successful run is usually led by players who have skills that increase movement speed like Sprint, Charge! or Storm Chaser. Most runners have Warrior as their primary profession with Monk as their secondary profession. These characters can move quickly, withstand a great deal of damage and are able to heal themselves when necessary. However, it is quite possible to do some runs with other profession combinations, which can be useful for simply moving your own characters through Tyria.

Eventually, when the runners get to the entrance to the next area and pass through (i.e. zone), all party members (whether those killed or those sitting at the other end of the area) are teleported to the next area.

The obvious advantage of running is that it gives lower level players access to merchants and crafters who sell powerful items not otherwise available to them. However, they may end up paying for something that they could have acquired for free had they gone through the game sequentially.

More importantly, players that are escorted to more advanced areas of the game gain little experience, both in terms of how to play the game as well as in actual experience points for their character. A player that is run through several areas, skipping through numerous missions and quests may find himself surrounded by others who have much higher levels. Generally speaking, parties are not interested in grouping with players that are too low in level to be of much use, making it difficult for them to adventure further.

Running is also used by players who want to do a quest or mission (e.g. deliver an item or perform infusion) without actually fighting monsters along the way.

The Business of Running
Experienced players often require payment from weaker players to run them. And weaker players or players not interested in the PvE campaign often offer payment to runners in popular running locations like Beacon's Perch, Droknar's Forge and Augury Rock.

Whether hiring another player to run you, or running a group of players yourself, you should watch out for scammers.

Some of the most popular runs in the game right now are:
 * The Droknar Run.
 * From The Amnoon Oasis to Augury Rock.
 * From Augury Rock to the mission locations in the Crystal Desert, see the Ascension guide.
 * From Henge of Denravi to Maguuma Stade.
 * From Thunderhead Keep to Marhan's Grotto.
 * From Iron Mines of Moladune to Copperhammer Mines.
 * From Copperhammer Mines to Granite Citadel.
 * From Piken Square to Yak's Bend.
 * From Temple of the Ages to Sanctum Cay.
 * From Beacon's Perch to Gates of Kryta.
 * From Lion's Arch to Temple of the Ages
 * The Sanctum Cay Mission (there is ongoing debate as to whether this qualifies as a "run" because it is a mission, and can require fighting if the runner approaches the end incorrectly. It is included here because many people pay for another to run this mission to get to Amnoon Oasis for Ascension)
 * The Thunderhead Keep Mission

Profession Running Guide
Skills which make you run faster:
 * Armor of Mist
 * Windborne Speed
 * Illusion of Haste (after this wears off, you will be Crippled)
 * Dodge
 * Escape
 * Storm Chaser
 * Bull's Charge
 * "Charge!"
 * Sprint

Other potentially useful skills for running:
 * Balanced Stance is vital for getting past areas where there are enemies with knockdown attacks. Balanced Stance is also the reason that "Charge!" is so important for difficult runs: As a shout, it stacks with Balanced Stance, so you can run faster and not be knocked down. (You can only have one stance active at a time, so you can't use Balanced Stance and Sprint together.)
 * Defensive Stance, Disciplined Stance, "Shields Up!", or other stances or shouts that allow you to evade or block attacks.
 * "To the Limit!" is the only way, other than taking damage, in which a Warrior can gain adrenaline while running (and not fighting). This Adrenaline can then be used for skills such as Bonetti's Defense, Rush, or Riposte.
 * Miscellaneous defensive skills, such as Deadly Riposte, Shield Bash, or Endure Pain, provides some extra defense. These are certainly less popular but viable choices for someone simply trying to run themselves somewhere before all skills have been attained.
 * As a start for skills beyond the Warrior profession, see: Holy Veil, Mending, Distortion, Illusion of Weakness, Throw Dirt, Swirling Aura

Of the list above, Sprint, "Charge!" and Storm Chaser are the ones most favored by runners for a few reasons:
 * 1) They last at least 10 seconds (if the linked attribute is high enough) which is most adequate for dodging groups and getting far quickly.
 * 2) They are shouts or stances that do not have an activation time. This means a character can invoke them on the fly while running. While Armor of Mist is a spell that lasts longer and runs faster than Sprint, it requires runners to stop and invoke it for two full seconds, which often allows monsters surround them.  This is usually fatal.

Also, the elite skills besides "Charge!" are very rarely used by warrior runners, because Charge! is so much better.

Note: Dodge is often used by those who use Storm Chaser as an extra boost after Storm Chaser wears off to get past the really long gauntlet of foes which are sometimes encountered. Similarly, Charge! is often used in conjunction with Sprint to allow the player to quickly outpace pursuing foes. Dodge also represents an obvious choice for Ranger primary runners, since the duration can be increased with Expertise (and it adds +33% speed instead of +25%).

Tip: Dying while others run you offers a convenient way to watch the runners and see how they do what they do. Simply click on the surviving runner's name in the Party List and observe. You can also see to what skills they're using if you watch the bar at the center of the top of the screen.

Warming up: Many runners activate some sort of healing regeneration (typically Mending for the W/Mo and Troll Unguent for the Ranger) for a greater healing boost just before encountering a group of foes. This helps to combat the health degeneration often inflicted on runners by enemy mesmers and other occasional attacks that hit a runner. Many runners also start some sort of speed boost at this time, such as Windborne Speed or Armor of Mist, which allows them to save the skills that don't require any activation time for when they're actually surrounded by foes.