Running Man

The Running Man is a character in and.

A Link to the Past
The Running Man is an otherwise unnamed man wearing a distinctive red hat and a red jacket standing very close to the Sweeping Lady in Kakariko Village. He takes off whenever Link gets too close to him due to believing him to be the villain who kidnapped Princess Zelda. He is incredibly fast, and cannot be caught or spoken to at this time. Later on when Link acquires the Pegasus Boots, he can chase down the Running Man to catch up him. The Running Man says he doesn't look like a villain, and advises Link to dash into objects, such as trees in the village as he could find various objects hidden in them. He will continue in his cowardly behavior and will always run from Link however. Later in the game, the man cannot be found in Kakariko Village again and does not return until the ending sequence.

Ocarina of Time
The Running Man in runs around Hyrule Field when Link is young after Link has obtained all three Spiritual Stones. He has an obsession with rabbits, and speaks about how Hyrule Field used to be filled with them. The Bunny Hood may be sold to him; he even believes the long ears will help him hear the voices of the gods. He will pay a big sum of Rupees to obtain the mask. The exact amount he pays Link for the Bunny Hood is not set; he will simply give Link as many Rupees as it takes to fill his current Wallet. Once he receives the Bunny Hood, the Running Man will gain a burst of speed, damaging Link if he runs into him.

As an adult, Link can meet him inside the carpenters tent in Gerudo Valley. He will mention that he wanted to try to run through Haunted Wasteland; however, he had second thoughts for undisclosed reasons. To make matters worse, the Gerudos tore down the bridge before he could escape, trapping him. When the carpenters fix the bridge, he will challenge Link to a race from the tent to the bridge outside the Kokiri Forest. The Running Man will always beat Link by one second. Link's fastest time will be recorded in his house in Kokiri Forest.

Myths
Many myths surround the race against the Running Man in the Ocarina of Time. Theories say that Link may beat him if he uses certain items, beats a certain time, or does certain things. There are also various myths about what happens if the man is beaten, usually involving strange items, but these are not true. Despite the fact that he cannot be beaten in Ocarina of Time, Link can run faster than him in A Link to the Past using the Pegasus Boots.

Trivia

 * In, there is a reference to the Running Man from A Link to the Past: after he has stolen the Zora Queen's Smooth Gem, the Shady Guy runs away whenever Link gets too close to him in Kakariko Village. While the Running Man can only be caught thanks to the Pegasus Boots, the Shady Guy is caught thanks to Wall Merging and is the one who awards Link the Pegasus Boots he was using to run at a quick pace.