Runaway serfs were entitled to their freedom if they managed to survive a year and a day on the run. How common was this and what are ways that serfs were able to accomplish this?

For the time and period (which this question is lacking but I think is referring to?), I am pretty sure this was a practice in English serfdom - if you could evade capture in a town or city by someone sent to track you down for over one year you would be free from serfdom. How common and how they did this I am not certain of - I just wanted to provide some context for the question so it can be answered.

As such, I think this question is referring to pre-15th Century England?