I have this question about the verb "run".  According to definition 11a of this [dictionary](http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/run), "*run*" means "*to go or extend in a particular direction*" when used to describe roadways/pathways.  But then there is [this](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/09/opinion/the-streets-where-history-lives.html):    


>In Boston, a simple red brick ***path runs for 2.5 miles*** through the heart of the city, connecting 16 of its Revolutionary sites, ending at Bunker Hill.  


,where the phrase "*runs for 2.5 miles*" does not fit the dictionary definition of "going or extending in a particular direction".  Could the example sentence be poor writing?