Why run with a spear and shield?

When I observe some battles, I notice that many players, when running between fights, switch to a spear & shield combo. Are there reasons why specifically a spear is held with the shield? I understand running with a shield, but I don't understand why a spear and not a sword or axe.

Range, doing 1 dmg helps :3

GW is all about how u look, they like spear, they use spear

Zealous defensive set for regaining energy at range (Assassins use this to good effect when paired with high Critical Strikes).

Furious defensive set for building up adrenaline at range.

Some specific builds may use a specific spear head to lengthen the duration of a condition, like cripple from Hidden Caltrops for example.

Also you obviously benefit from more health and armour while doing so.

mainly for range attacks, if the enemy monk is dazed you can keep hitting and thus interrupting him.
And also for cosmetic reasons

I find it funny that no-one has mentioned the +8 armor you get from the shield, even when you don't meet its required attribute. It is also rather useful when it gives +30hp and +10 armor vs slashing damage.

running with a spear just of some benefits, like ranged damage to trigger certain hexes like [mark of pain] or something
you can run with a sword of axe if you have no hexes to trigger
i dunno how it works like that but i think it's kinda like that

Personally, I believe it's all part of costume. Voltiac spears look awesome. No sword matches it's power! Except maybe the Eternal blade as there's hardly any about.

I'd say for the range (casters are squishy don't forget).

Axes/swords will still trigger barbs etc., but a spear means tat you dont have to be close.

Ahem, Crystalline Sword, Ahem...

Some of the spears are really cool looking.

mai necro uses a voltaic + she also has a chaos axe. The main reason i use a spear is because i can trigger things like [barbs] and MoP without actually taking more damage than i should be. Which is good.

A spear lets you use the shield benefits w/o getting into melee range. NF has a +5 e spear, and you can add +hp as well.

Because it is a ranged attack, if you accidentally press space or something on an enemy you won't start running into melee range.

That.
Its mostly about not accidentally moving out of position and screwing up your kiting. Posts talking about this and how spears would become the new caster weapon of choice appeared within hours of the first NF PvP preview event.

It is generally because of looks, however in the case of Warriors, it is because that Warrior has a Hammer. With a Spear and Shield (assuming they both have +30 HP), that will lead to having 30 more HP than just having a Hammer equipped. A Spear is also used to build up adrenaline, although a Wan can do the same. All in all, it is just visual preferance, as a Wand can pretty much do the same thing.

Wands are slower than spears and can't have +5 energy unconditionally or +30 health.

nor can it have the all-important furious mod for warriors, nor the crippling mod for casters using epic return madness.

You can spear from range to hopefully hit RoF or something.

they use a shield and a spear for 3 reasons

1) more armor
2) more hp and extras 30 on shield 30 on spear double adren/zealous/reduce cripple/blind/any other condition
3) keep meleeing. it may not do a lot of damage but its constant pressure for casters while dazed