St. Patricks Day Hash, proving that anyone can run. Photo by mjkmjk
Jared Romey explains the time-honored tradition of getting wasted and running places.
Over the course of the last five years, I’ve hashed with 28 packs in 11 countries. I’ve run through Muslim slums and desert oil fields in the Middle East, the four green fields of Ireland, the sugar cane fields of Barbados, the shiggy of Puerto Rico and the urban density of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. I find Hashers to be the best people in the world. People who will go out of their way to pick you up at the airport, transport you around their town, let you sleep on their couch, run through the woods with you, and share their alcohol. – Saigon Sally (aka Curtiss), PRH3
New in town? Looking to explore out-of-the-way, non-tourist places? Know where to meet fun people? The answer is the Hash. No, it’s not the drug . It’s not the food, either. And it’s mostly legal.
Somebody’s in trouble! Photo by davidclow
You usually first hear about it in whispers. “You Hash?,” someone may ask. “What’s that?” you reply. “Oh nothing. You kinda run some, but not always, and there’s definitely lot’s of beer, maybe even a bit of nudity. But only if you want. It’s really not as bad as it sounds. You should try it. It’s fun. I promise.”
Think of the Hash as kind of a social filter for great friends. It weeds out the straight-laced, responsible people. The left-over misfits are Hashers.
They may be Marines guarding the local embassy, the pilot who just landed your plane, that guy who manages your off-shore bank accounts, the CEO of a haircare company or a recent grad teaching English to locals. They may be expats or locals. Marathoners, teetotalers, pot-bellied couch potatoes, multi-lingual math geniuses, beach bums. They are all Hashers.
The Hash, more formally known as Hash House Harriers (HHH), is a self-professed “Drinking club with a running problem.” Founded before World War II, the Hash has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. This social club meets in cities throughout the world. Most meetings include some form of running or walking and alcohol, often both at the same time. There is always singing and perhaps a little debauchery.
Normally, running is straight-forward. One foot in front of the other and keep going. But this is the Hash. The catch? Nobody knows where the trail leads. It’s also possible nobody knows where the trail begins. And at times nobody even knows where the trail is. Symbols on the ground, generally made with flour, mark the trail for hashers. These symbols are explained at the beginning of the trail, during the chalk talk, given for the Virgins in the crowd.
Photo by basumus
Flour marks the dead-ends, song checks, beer checks, boob checks, the real trail and false trails. On any given trail, there is a 100% chance someone will get lost at some point. Just make sure you are not that person.
After the run/walk, there’s always the Hash circle. Punishments are assessed for the stupid stuff people do along the trail. These violations could be sex on the trail (no, not REALLY sex, just PDA), technology on trail, shortcutting and numerous other invented violations. The punishment is always the same. Get in the circle. Sing a song. Do a down-down. Repeat. Hares do down-downs, defined as singing a song and then slamming down your beverage of choice in one gulp. Virgins (new hashers) do down-downs. Front Running Bastards (FRBs) do down-downs. Really, everybody does down-downs.
Also, if you become a regular you will be named. Often, it is after you screw up or do something stupid. Most likely, it is not a flattering name. Ankles for Earrings, Passed Out Pumping, Play In My Pants (PIMP), Clitty Litter, Stick It In My Socket and Naughty Man are all Hash names that evoke a certain fear as to what devious behavior earned them these names.
Photo by espanol
For as off-the-wall as it sounds, most Hashes are well-organized groups. Each Hash is run by a Mis-Management Committee of a General Manager (GM), Religious Adviser (often the most unholy of people), Hare Raiser, Hash Cash, Beermeister and Haberdasher. The Committee organizes each event, everything from who lays the trail and runs the Hash circle, to purchasing beverages or offering merchandise for sale. Most Hashes charge a nominal fee to cover expenses, but you will recoup this in fun and friends in the first five minutes.
Find out about your local Hash ahead of time. Is it family-friendly, pet-friendly, extreme runners only or for walkers too? Each Hash is different. Some are miles of running, with a smidgen of social activity thrown in at the end. Others are social events, with a bit of a walk as an afterthought.
There are Hashes where kids are present, manners are required and drinking is kept to socially acceptable levels. And then there are Hashes where including kids would be a felony, alcohol consumption is beyond belief, and a little nudity is a given. No matter which version you choose, meeting great people is guaranteed.
Community Connection
Questions about running. Could running barefoot be good for you? Was anyone gored at last year’s running of the bulls in Pamplona? Want to run a marathon in Kenya? If none of the above, just check out our pick for the world’s most disgusting adult beverage .
About the Author
Related Posts
24 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Absolutely love the HHH. I did it in Borneo and raced through the jungle, sliding under ferns and down hillsides, traipsing through waterfalls, and zigzagging past rice paddies. Then I had to dump a beer over my head. I ended up, around 3 in the morning, winning a boat race with “Team America” : Jorge, a Canadian expat in his 70’s, and myself. We managed to drink three beers in half the time of our Swedish and Malay competitors. What does that say about North Americans?
HHH rocks. A great, bizarre travel experience.
↵ -
This sounds amazingly fun! We need this in Chattanooga!
↵ -
This is out of control…safe to say that it should and will be an Olympic event!
↵ -
I did this in Buenos Aires and we made tons of friends, drank free booze and even kept in shape. I would recommend HHH in any country.
↵ -
This sounds like a great time! how do i find somewhere that this is taking place?
↵ -
Michelle,
Look what I found:
http://www.choochooh3.com/main/
Unfortunately, it appears that they haven’t run since the end of 2008. At least you can check back every once in a while to see if they start up again.
On On,
Jared
↵ -
I FOUND A SNOWSHOE HHH IN NL! YESS!
↵ -
Holy cow! My cousin does this! And writes about it? We have HHH here on Guam. In fact, my alcoholic roommate back in 1991 ran the HHH on a VERY regular basis. I know they still have them here, but since she is gone I no longer am “in the loop”. Jared, you should come to Guam and try it plus the food out here
↵ -
I tried it for the first time in Taiwan and got mildly lost on my first run. Before coming home I checked for the local HHH and to my delight there was one!
HHH: a wonderful event with quirky people always ready to grab a beer or ten!
↵ -
Hashing is active in every major city in the US. It varies from kennel to kennel as to how active they are and how civil they behave at hash. Here in Panama City Florida we hash every other Saturday like clock work. Tourists have been known to hash with us while on vacation at our beach. Military people come and go to Tyndall AFB and the Naval Coastal Systems Center hash with us also. Our trails tend to be rural tromps through forests or urban pub crawls. Either way you see Florida how it really is.
I’m always happy to help a fellow hasher find a kennel.
ON ON !
SOS
↵ -
Chattanooga seems to be inactive. Check out http://www.choochooh3.com/main and you might find some local contacts.
ONON
Poopatrooper↵ -
To find a kennel near you, check out http://half-mind.com/index.php. The site is kind of hub for Hash information, updating local contacts in most major cities. If you want to check it out, I’d highly recommend. I’ve been hashing for over 7 years, and still love it.
Rent This Space
DFWH3↵ -
I’ve been hashing for a little over a year in the Tampa Bay area and it’s wonderful. You never know what to expect… aside from a great time of course. For those of you interested in locating a kennel near you, try http://half-mind.com/contactsnew/p_listcountry1.php for a directory of hashes in the North American region. Additionally, those of you who get the opportunity to participate in this debauchery, join Hashspace.com to connect to your fellow hashers. Just like the article said, you can go nearly anywhere in the world and find comradery and assistance within any kennel.
On-Arrrr!
↵ -
It should not and will never be an Olympic event. Competitive behavior (most often called “racist behavior”) is punished in the Hash … just like the author described, we’ll sing you a ribald song and you’ll chug a beer.
For those who would like to find a hash in their area, try this website: http://gotothehash.net/ . For example, for the person in Chattanooga, it lists the following Hashes in Tennessee: Black Dog H3, Choo-Choo, Knoxville H3, Memphis H3, Music City (Nashville) H3, Tri-Cities Hash H3 (TRIH3). It gives web page, hotline phone number, and e-mail to contact somebody.
I would recommend, if you cannot reach someone at the Hash nearest you, contact someone at another kennel that’s a LITTLE farther away. It may be that the contact information is invalid, but the Hash itself is still running and someone from a nearby kennel will have more up-to-date information. IOW, if the contact for Choo-Choo H3 is invalid, try someone at Memphis. Even if you’re not willing to travel to Memphis, if you can reach someone in Memphis, they can probably direct you to a valid contact in Chattanooga.
ON-ON
Little Head
RA, Denver H3↵ -
To find one near you, check out http://half-mind.com/index.php and that should point you to an H3 pack near you.
ONON!
~SMOS~
Sacramento H3, CA.
http://www.sach3.com↵ -
…& I should read everyone else’s comments…
↵ -
Hashing is a wonderful way of getting to meet people outside of bars, still stay physically active and get rewarded with beer afterward. If you want to find out more about hashing, you can Google Hash House Harriers.
↵ -
when you visit London, check with http://www.londonhash.org and join us for a ‘run’ and some beers after. all welcome.
↵ -
And for the rest of the UK: http://www.hhh.org.uk
Great article, I’ve hashed in four states of the US, including getting totally lost just outside DC, but I’ll always remember hashing around the fields outside Madrid for the real “this is Spain” experience.
On On!
Pampers↵ -
I find this article and these people totally objectionable.
Who do they think they are:-, enjoying life and drinking alcohol.
I am sure there are many who think like me and would like to see the whole thing banned worldwide.
Your sincerely
OBL
Third cave on the right
Waziristan↵ -
I totally agree with the above – have ‘run’ with London H3 and Panama City H3 as well as many other kennels. I often travel alone and have always been made to feel welcome at hashes allo round the world. We woudl love to see visitos at our newly established hash is you ever find yourself in lower Alabama! http://www.mutaruckerh3.com
On ON
Docleaf
↵ -
Please excuse my spelling mistakes! Submitted before editing! ON ON!
↵ -
My spelling did not get any better……www.mutharuckerh3.com look us up if you are in Lower Alabama. ON ON!
↵
