What is Hashing?
Stolen from half-mind.com
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!