Running Bowline
loop knot
Life-safety notice
TyingPoint's illustrations are for learning. For any life-safety use — climbing, rope access, rescue, or load-bearing rigging — seek qualified in-person instruction, and always inspect and test every knot before you trust your weight (or anyone else's) to it.
The rope goes around the object first, and only then is the bowline tied - that order matters, because a noose closed before the object is captured would have to have the whole standing part and load end threaded back through it. Pass the working end around or over whatever is being captured, bring it back alongside the standing part, and tie an ordinary bowline in that working end around the standing part rather than around anything fixed. Pulling the standing part then runs the noose up snug while the small bowline itself stays put. That's the entire idea of the running bowline: a genuine noose, but one built from a knot that won't slip or come undone on its own the way a simple overhand loop can.
It shows up most often wherever something needs to be captured and dragged without being handled directly - snagging a stuck object out of water or a ditch, dropping a loop over a snag to haul it clear, or lassoing an awkward load from a safe distance. Farm and utility rope work has used it this way for as long as the plain bowline has existed, since the only real difference is tying the small bowline around the standing part instead of around a fixed post.
The knot's one serious limitation is also its defining trait: it tightens under load and keeps tightening as more pull is applied, which makes it entirely unsuitable as an improvised harness or sling around any part of a person or animal. That's a real constriction risk, not a theoretical one, and it's the specific reason the running bowline is a load-and-object knot, never a rescue-loop knot.
Because the noose portion is just the rope's own standing part sliding through a fixed bowline loop, the running bowline can also be untied almost as quickly as a plain bowline once the load comes off - unlike a constrictor knot or a true slip-noose arrangement, which can bind down hard enough to need real effort to loosen. That relative ease of release is part of why it remains a practical choice for quick, temporary hauling jobs where the rope needs to be freed and reused right away, rather than left in place.
How to tie the Running Bowline
- 1Pass the working end around or over the object you want to capture, and bring it back alongside the standing part.
- 2Form a small loop in the working end.
- 3Tie an ordinary bowline with the working end, but take it around the standing part rather than around any fixed object, so the standing part runs freely through the finished eye.
- 4Pull on the standing part to run the noose up snug against the object.
- 5Draw the noose down around the load until it grips.
- 6Check the small bowline itself is dressed correctly, with its tail finishing inside its own loop.
Strength & security
The bowline component holds its own loop reliably, so the noose it forms doesn't come undone the way a plain slip knot might; drag on the standing part cinches the noose tighter around whatever it's captured rather than loosening it.
Cautions: Because it tightens under load, it will constrict around anything soft or living - never use it as an improvised sling around a limb or torso. It also inherits the plain bowline's tendency to work loose over repeated slack-tight cycles if the small bowline itself isn't dressed tightly.
Alternatives
- Bowline
The fixed-loop original; use it instead whenever a noose that tightens under load isn't actually wanted.
- Honda Knot
A dedicated running-loop knot built for exactly this job - a smaller, stiffer eye that's the standard choice for lariats specifically, versus the running bowline's more general improvised use.
FAQ
Is the running bowline safe to use as a sling around a person?
No. It tightens under load and will constrict, which makes it genuinely dangerous around a limb or torso. Use a proper harness or rescue loop instead.
How is the running bowline different from a plain bowline?
The bowline itself is identical - it's tied around the rope's own standing part instead of a fixed object, which lets the standing part slide through the loop and form a noose.
Why not just use a slip knot for the same job?
A slip knot's loop can work its own way loose or jam unpredictably; the bowline component here holds its loop shape reliably, so the noose behaves consistently under repeated use.
Does the size of the small bowline loop matter?
Yes - too small and the standing part binds and drags heavily as it slides through; too large and the noose closes down more slowly than intended. Most tyers size it to roughly a hand's width, adjusting from there by feel for the specific rope and job.
Can the running bowline be used to retrieve gear dropped overboard?
Yes - it's a genuinely practical use: drop the noose over a snagged item, cinch it from a distance by pulling the standing part, and haul the object clear without needing to reach or dive for it directly.