You hear it before you see it. That wet, ragged gasping sound. It isn't a scream—at least not yet. It’s the sound of someone who just ran a marathon while choking on their own saliva. In the world of Naughty Dog’s masterpiece, runners the last of us represents the first, and arguably most tragic, stage of the Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI).
Most people focus on the Clickers. Sure, the clicking is iconic. The Bloaters are huge and tanky. But there is something deeply unsettling about a Runner that the later stages of infection just can't replicate. It's the humanity. Or what’s left of it.
The Anatomy of a Runner: Why They Move That Way
A Runner is basically a human being who has lost the steering wheel to their own brain. Within 24 to 48 hours of exposure—whether through a bite or spore inhalation—the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus wraps itself around the central nervous system.
It’s fast.
Unlike the slow, shambling zombies of Romero films, these things haul ass. They have the full cardiovascular capacity of the person they used to be, but with the "limiter" removed. You know how humans don't normally run at 100% because our brains want to protect our muscles and tendons? The fungus doesn't care about longevity. It just wants a host.
When you encounter runners the last of us, you’re seeing a body being piloted by a parasite that is overdriving the motor cortex. This is why they flail. Their movements are jerky, uncoordinated, and frantic. They aren't "attacking" you with martial arts; they are literally throwing their body weight at you because the fungus is screaming spread, spread, spread.
The Horror of the "Half-Aware" Host
If you listen closely to the idle animations in the game—especially if you're playing the Part I remake with the enhanced 3D audio—you’ll notice something haunting. Runners cry.
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They actually sob.
There’s a long-standing theory among the fanbase, backed by the agonizing voice acting of artists like Misty Lee, that the host is still somewhat conscious during the Runner stage. They are a passenger in their own body. Imagine being locked in a room where you can see through the windows, but someone else is driving your arms and legs to bite your own family.
That’s why they’re called Runners. They’re in a constant state of high-intensity panic.
Spotting Them Before They Spot You
Dealing with runners the last of us requires a different tactical mindset than Clickers. Clickers are a stealth puzzle. Runners are a crowd control problem.
They still have their eyesight. That’s the big one. While a Clicker is blind and relies on echolocation, a Runner will spot Joel or Ellie from across a parking lot if you aren't hugging cover. Their vision is slightly impaired by the initial fungal growths behind the eyes, causing a sort of "tunnel vision" effect, but they are incredibly sensitive to motion.
If you're playing on Grounded difficulty, a single Runner is a threat. Two is a problem. Three is a death sentence.
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They tend to hang out in groups. Naughty Dog designed their AI to exhibit pack behavior. One spots you, lets out that high-pitched shriek, and suddenly the whole room is vibrating. They don't flank you like the Stalkers do later in the infection cycle. They just swarm.
How to Handle a Swarm Without Wasting Ammo
Ammo is gold. You don't want to spend it on the "trash mobs" of the apocalypse.
- The Brick/Bottle Combo: This is the bread and butter of The Last of Us combat. Throw a brick to stun, then move in for the melee kill. It saves bullets and keeps things quiet.
- Stealth Takedowns: You can grab a Runner from behind and strangle them. This is impossible with Clickers (unless you have a shiv). Use this to thin the herd before you inevitably get spotted.
- The Melee Hierarchy: A lead pipe or a machete is your best friend. In the first game, a single strike with a modified melee weapon will drop a Runner instantly.
- Line of Sight: If you get spotted, don't just stand there. Break the line of sight. Duck behind a desk, climb through a window, and wait. Their "investigation" phase is short-lived because the fungus is impatient.
Honestly, the biggest mistake players make is panicking. When three Runners are sprinting at you, the natural instinct is to pull the trigger on the 9mm. But the recoil and the sway make it easy to miss. Kick them. Use the environment.
The Evolution: From Runner to Stalker
Eventually, if the host survives long enough (usually between a week and a month), the infection enters Stage 2. This is the Stalker phase.
Stalkers are basically Runners who have learned how to be jerks.
The fungal growths start erupting from the head, often covering one side of the face. They still have some vision, but they start developing the early stages of echolocation. More importantly, they stop charging blindly. They hide. They wait around corners. They wait for you to look at your map or reload.
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If you see a Runner that seems to be "fused" to a wall or looks like it’s growing into the environment, you’re looking at the transition point.
Real-World Inspiration: The Science of the Infection
Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog famously took inspiration from a segment in the BBC's Planet Earth. The real Cordyceps fungus infects ants. It takes over their brains, forces them to climb to a high point, and then sprouts a fruiting body out of their head to rain spores down on the colony below.
While the "zombie ant" fungus doesn't affect humans in real life (our body temperatures are too high and our nervous systems are too complex), the way runners the last of us behave is a terrifyingly accurate representation of "host manipulation."
The aggression isn't "hunger." It’s a delivery mechanism. The fungus irritates the brain to induce rage and biting, which is the most effective way to transfer the infection via saliva. It’s a lot like rabies, just on fast-forward and with more mushrooms.
Survival Tactics for the Modern Player
Whether you are jumping into the PC port or revisiting the Part II Remaster on PS5, understanding the behavior of these infected is the difference between a successful run and a "Game Over" screen.
- Listen for the "feeding" sound: Runners often crouch over corpses. They aren't just eating; they are spreading spores into the remains. This is the best time to bow-and-arrow them.
- Check your corners: In tight hallways, Runners like to "zone out" against walls. They look dead. They aren't dead.
- Use the environment: Fire is incredibly effective. A single Molotov can clear a cluster of four Runners because their high body temperature and the flammable nature of the fungus makes them go up like tinder.
The Runner stage is a reminder of the human cost of the CBI. Every one of those screaming, sprinting threats was a person with a life, a job, and a family just a few days prior. That's what makes them the most effective enemy in the game. They aren't monsters from another planet. They're just us, without the brakes.
Practical Next Steps for Your Next Playthrough
- Practice the "Stun-Lock": Learn the timing of a brick throw followed by a melee strike. It’s the most consistent way to preserve resources in high-difficulty settings.
- Identify Voice Patterns: Distinguish between the "idle" whimpering and the "alert" shriek. It helps you gauge the aggression level of the room without using Listen Mode.
- Prioritize Targets: In a mixed group, kill the Runners first. Their speed makes them more likely to interrupt your animations while you’re trying to deal with a slower, more dangerous Clicker.