Running wild with the Hash House Harriers

Picture a group of soggy headed British colonial officers and expats, swimming up from a weekend of excess and drinking in 1938. The setting is Kuala Lumpur, now Malaysia. Good will carried them through to Monday evening and, inspired by the traditional British ‘paper chase’ or ‘hare and hounds,’ they started a loose knit running club. The name, Hash House Harriers came from the boarding house and dining club, Selangor, where several of the original hashers happened to live, affectionately known as their “Hash House.” Soon a constitution was set up and they were off.

On Monday evenings they would meet to run a secret course and full of excitement to find the trail they’d “chase the hare.” At the end of the run, there was a celebration of beer, ginger beer and cigarettes.

After WWII, the group disbanded until an enterprising soldier in Italy founded a new chapter and before long there were Harriers in Singapore, throughout the Far East, the South Pacific, Europe and North America. Antarctica boasts two chapters as well. Today the “drinking club with a running problem” can be found in over 2,000 cities around the world.

The original 1950 constitution was set up to:

• Promote physical fitness
• Flush out weekend hangovers
• To “acquire a good thirst and satisfy it in beer”
• To “persuade older members that they aren’t as old as they feel”

Each chapter sets up its own events and organization. In San Diego members are recommended to:

• Be sure to wear good running shoes
• Bring a run fee, usually between $2 and $7, plus a few dollars to pay for libations and food at the end of the trail
• A run bag with your supplies in it that will be auto-magically be delivered to the end point of the run
• Dry clothes and socks to change into
• A flashlight for trails that continue after dark
• Other supplies might include: Extra shoes, a spare car key, pen and paper, duct tape, condoms (!) and perhaps a clove of garlic

Picture courtesy of Harrier.net