How to say "runner" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

ランナーCommon
nounThe everyday word for a person who runs, as in sports or jogging; also used for base runners in baseball. The safest general choice for a human runner.
神田かんださんは何なんと速はやいランナーでしょう。↗
What a fast runner Miss Kanda is!
走者そうしゃCommon
nounCovers a runner as a participant in a race or relay. Slightly more formal than ランナー and typical in the context of athletic competition.
決勝けっしょうまで残のこった走者そうしゃは５人にんだった。↗
Five runners reached the finals.
絨毯じゅうたんJLPT N2approx.Common
nounNot a person at all: this word really means carpet or rug, and its 'runner' sense refers to the long narrow floor covering. Seldom the word you want unless talking about carpets.
私はコーヒーをじゅうたんにこぼしてしまった。↗
I spilled my coffee on the carpet.
伝令でんれいCommon
nounA runner or messenger who carries orders or information, typically in military or organizational settings. Use this for the 'runner' sense of a dispatch carrier, not for athletes.

Use 「ランナー」 for a person who runs, 走者 in racing contexts, 絨毯 for a long narrow carpet, and 伝令 for a runner carrying messages.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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