Pumpkins sending out 'runners'

Hi,

my burgeoning pumpkin plants are sending out sort of runners across paths and into other beds:



It's the thing heading south west from the plant. What, if anything, am I supposed to do with this? Before long, it's going to be into my tomatoes (if it isn't there already!)

TIA,
P.

 

Push sticks in either side of stems to 'steer' them in the desired direction. If you draw out shallow scrapes in the ground and bury stems in them, it will not only assist keeping them in place, but encourage the stems to send down roots at each leaf node, provide extra substinence, and produce bigger pumpkins.

But you are really rather late with a plant of that size.

 

They were planted out at the end of June if memory serves, which was just within the recommended planting out period.

 

To get decent sized pumpkins I would expect the plants to have really long runners on ,by now, especially bearing in mind the weather this year, up to now.
Would also expect there to be some swelling fruits at this stage.
Not TOO late I guess, but things need to get a move on.