To resolve the issue of Meridian 157 crashing after the "running" status appears on Steam, follow these steps:

1. Verify Game Files: Start by verifying the integrity of the game files. This process checks for any corrupted or missing files and replaces them.

- Open Steam.
- Go to your Library.
- Right-click on Meridian 157 and select Properties.
- Navigate to the Local Files tab and click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.

2. Update Graphics Drivers: Ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers can cause games to crash unexpectedly.

- Go to your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
- Download and install the latest drivers for your graphics card.

3. Adjust Launch Options: Try adjusting the launch options in Steam. Sometimes certain settings can affect game stability.

- Right-click on Meridian 157 in your Library.
- Select Properties and go to General.
- In the Launch Options field, you can try adding commands like -windowed to run the game in windowed mode or other parameters specific to performance such as -novideo.

4. Disable Overlays: Overlays from tools like Steam or Discord can interfere with game performance.

- Disable the Steam Overlay: Go to Steam, click on Settings, then In-Game and uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
- Disable other overlays such as Discord's overlay in its settings.

5. Check System Requirements: Confirm that your system meets the minimum requirements to run Meridian 157. Insufficient hardware can cause crashes.

6. Reinstall the Game: If the problem persists, consider uninstalling and reinstalling Meridian 157. This can fix deeper issues that might not be addressed by the file verification process.

- Right-click on Meridian 157 in your Library.
- Select Uninstall and follow the prompts.
- After uninstallation, reinstall it from your Library.

7. Consult Community Forums: If none of these steps solve the issue, it may be helpful to check community discussions or post your problem on forums like Steam Community or Reddit for additional insights.

For example, some users have reported issues related to runtime errors and specific parts of the game triggering crashes, which may provide context to your situation - learn more - learn more.

Should the problem persist after trying these steps, it may be beneficial to reach out to Steam Support for more tailored assistance.