running time

American  

noun

1. Movies. the length or duration, usually expressed in minutes, of a feature film.

   The running time of the average film is 90–100 minutes.

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Etymology

Origin of running time

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

I’ve also seen much younger viewers cringe at the suggestion of staring at anything rendered in gray scale that has a running time longer than a “Twilight Zone” episode.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

The characters number four, although only two are prominent during the play’s 90-minute running time.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

With only Rockwell on screen for most of its running time, “Moon” makes being stranded in space feel less like a physical problem than a psychological one.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

In total, Avatar contains "four times as much" music as a standard Hollywood film, says Franglen, with almost the entirety of its 195-minute running time requiring music.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

A run from Stratford to Brighton was made in less than 10 hours, at an average speed of 12 miles an hour running time, the actual running time being less than 6 hours.

From A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine by Thurston, Robert H.