Back in 1938, a group of British officers and expats in Malaysia formed a running group and sponsored events called hashes, based on the old English game of Paper Chase or Hare and Hounds. The group’s name was a commentary on the food served at their meeting place. The weekly runs were disrupted by the outbreak of World War II but were resumed after peacetime as other groups formed. But it wasn’t until the 1960s and ’70s that the sport’s popularity spread throughout the world. For more info go here.
Today, “hashing” is practiced on every continent in nearly 2,000 groups, or kennels, and in every major city on the planet.
According to the charter, the goals of the hash are: (1) To promote physical fitness among our members; (2) To get rid of weekend hangovers; (3) To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer; and (4) To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel. In hashing, runners called hounds chase after another runner called the hare, who leaves a trail of flour or paper through fields, streams, and woods or, alternatively, through suburban neighborhoods, strip malls, and public parks. The challenge for the hare is to lay a trail that is confusing or difficult to follow, enabling slower runners to catch up to the faster ones at various checkpoints. Indeed, hashing is a noncompetitive sport. A Philadelphia kennel, for example, stipulates that “Speed is not important. If you race, you will be tripped.” The hounds’ goal is to find the stash of beer and munchies at the end of the trail, which is typically three to six miles in length.
Just as rewarding is the opportunity to socialize and observe other traditions of the kennel at the end of each run. To find the location of the kennel nearest you and more information about the organization, visit www.gotothehash.net.
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