Dead Runners Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dead Runners Society (DRS) is a worldwide online running club. DRS is notable for its unusual role in the development of both the Internet and the sport of running. Founded in 1991 as an electronic mailing list, DRS pre-dates widespread use of the World Wide Web. It is an early example of a virtual community 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 in the mid-1990's. Annual World Conferences have been held since 1993.
DRS members are known as "deads." Online discussion includes everything from meditation to marathon 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 females age 70 and older. Other deads are coaches, race directors, writers and editors of running magazines, and developers of running-related software. Deads say the civilized level of discourse and strong sense of community sets DRS apart from other mailing lists.
The Dead Runners Society's name derives from the film Dead Poets Society which had as its motto Carpe Diem -- Seize The Day. The Dead Runners Society amended this to Carpe Viam -- Seize the Way (or Seize the Roadway). The group's distinctive T-shirts and singlets continue to attract attention at races.
The list founder is Chris Conn, a runner and software engineer in Austin, Texas. The Dead Runners Society is incorporated in Texas as a non-profit organization.
[edit] Terminology
Over the years, the group has adopted, adapted and coined various terms. Among them:
- Encounter: a face to face meeting of deads.
- Filk: In DRS parlance, a running-related song in which new lyrics are written to an existing tune.
- 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.
[edit] 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. Sublists have a geographic or thematic focus. SOBER Deads (Southern Ontario and Buffalo and Environs Deads) is an example of a geographic group. DRS-readers and DRS-mind are examples of thematic groups. One of the most active sublists is DRS Italia, a group based in Italy. Messages are posted in the Italian language. DRS Italia members will host DRS World Conference XV in Turin, Italy in 2007.
