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Hashing . . . it's a mixture of athleticism and sociability,
hedonism and hard work; a refreshing break from the
nine-to-five routine. Hashing is an exhilaratingly fun
combination of running, orienteering, and partying,
where bands of harriers and harriettes chase hares on
eight-to-ten kilometer-long trails through town, country,
jungle, and desert, all in search of exercise, camaraderie,
and good times.
Hashing, as we know it today, began in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, in 1938, when a group of restive British company
men started a hare & hounds running group. They
named the group after their meeting place, the Selangor
Club, aka the "Hash House." Hash House Harrier
runs were patterned after the traditional British public
school paper chase. A "hare" would be given
a short head start to blaze a trail, marking his devious
way with shreds of paper, soon to be pursued by a shouting
pack of "harriers." Only the hare knew where
he was going . . . the harriers followed his marks to
stay on trail. Apart from the excitement of chasing
down the wily hare, solving the hare's marks and reaching
the end was its own reward, for there, thirsty harriers
would find a tub of iced-down beer.
Hashing died during World War II (Japanese
occupying forces being notoriously opposed to civilian
fun), but came back to life in the post-war years, spreading
slowly through Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, and
New Zealand, then exploding in popularity in the late
70s and early 80s. Today there are thousands of Hash
House Harrier clubs in all parts of the world, complete
with newsletters, directories, and regional and world
hashing conventions.
Despite its growth, hashing hasn't
strayed far from its British and Malaysian roots. A
typical hash "kennel" is a loosely-organized
group of 20-40 men and women who meet weekly or biweekly
to chase the hare. We follow chalk, flour, or paper,
and the trails are never boring. When forced to, we'll
run the occasional street or alley, but in general we
prefer shiggy . . . fields, forests, jungles, swamps,
streams, fences, storm drains, and cliffs.
And although some of today's health-conscious
hashers may shun a cold beer in favor of water or a
diet soda, trail's end is still a party. Perhaps that's
why they call us the "drinking club with a running
problem!"
So . . . if you'd like to spice up your running program
with fun, good company, new surroundings, and physical
challenge, try hashing. Just remember one thing . .
. never wear new shoes to the hash!
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