The hash run is designed for a group of individuals (normally referred to as the "Pack" or "Hash") to follow a trail (true or false) of an individual chosen at random from a start point to a finish point. The distance varies from 2-5 miles and the finish point is fairly close or not so close to the start. The hare jogs out in advance of the pack and set a course marked by hash marks: splashes of white flour and chalk marks. The hare gets a 5 minute head start and the pack will follow his or her trail and try to catch the hare. If the hare is caught, the person who caught him or her becomes the new hare, and has a 3 minute head start.
This continues until the end, where the food and beverages are.
The hare is given a head start of approximately five minutes prior to the pack starting. The pack starts running immediately after thattime has expired. When conducting the hash the pack can work together to make the run an easy and fun run for all involved. Each person in the pack may carry chalk to mark the trail ("Pack Arrow"). When a mark made by the hare(s) is spotted (distance between marks should be no more than 50-100 meters) the individual can either say "on-on" or give one short blasts on his or her whistle. This alerts the pack that there is a trail.
When a "intersection" is discovered the runner(s) mark their direction from the "intersection." If there is a "BT" (Back Track, or Bad Trail) spotted the individual will give one long blast on his whistle and wave his or her hands in an X pattern over his or her head and shout "BT" or "Bad Trail" alerting the pack to return to the last decision point and mark the BT. This procedure is followed until a true trail is found.
Beware of marks; they can be on the road, sidewalk, telephone poles, curbs, trees, signs, building, fences, under vehicles, walls and other structures.
Maps are not allowed in hashing, as this gives too much advantage to the hare.
Remember that members of the pack should mark the trail with an arrow for the slower runners if there is doubt of the trail direction. No one except the hare can mark true trail arrows.
Short-cutting ("Zinning") is leaving the trail and trying to find the trail by a shorter distance -- taking a short cut. These individuals usually get lost or return to the start because they were outsmarted by the hare. However, if a hare is spotted still marking trail he or she may be caught and the spot marked by a sign indicating Snared Hare.
This is a desireable event for everyone involved, and the person who caught the hare becomes the new hare, and he or she gets directions from the previous hare, and has a three (3) minute head start.
If the second hare gets caught (oh joy, rapture and bliss!), the third (and subsequent) hares get only a two (2) minute head start.
This continues until the finish is reached.
Every Harrier, after his or her virgin run, is required to have a whistle at all hashes. Also everyone is encouraged to use their whistle.
After the last runner has come in, not to include those who are Dead on Trail (D.O.T.), the Hash Master will signal the beginning of the Down-Down Ceremony. A down-down is the chug-a-lugging of a twelve ounce beer, soda, or water from the individuals Hash Mug (also known as a "vessel"). Once the signal is given to begin, the Hasher may drink as much of the chosen beverage as he or she wishes until the mug leaves the lips or the beverage is depleted. Either way, the mug immediately goes over the head to demonstrate to the Pack which is the case. Down-downs may be awarded for any assorted hash violations or honors at the whim of the pack.
Remember---It is ALWAYS an honor to do a down-down
The origins of the Hash House Harriers can be traced back to those far more relaxed days of 1938 in Kuala LamPur.
Mr. Gispert, either Australian or British, (who knows which) has been described as a splendid fellow who was certainly not an athlete, but rather a sportsman who placed as much emphasis on the subsequent refreshments and entertainment as on the running itself. He belonged to Kuala LamPur's famous Selangor Sports Club.
One Monday, following a particularly social weekend, Gispert decided to sweat out some of his excesses by jogging around the fortress. Soon after, this became a regular Monday evening activity and others joined him. Running within the confines of the fortress became boring. The fellowship, using flour and paper, began laying trails through the countryside, adding false leads and loopbacks just for the hell of it.
As so often happens, good intention can lead to an evil end. Close by the fortress was a Chinese eating establishment known as "The Hash House." It soon became a custom for the Chinese manager to greet Gispert and his friends with quantities if ice cold beer at the end of each run. What began as a run, developed into a regular Monday evening social event.
The Chinese manager, realizing the group had strayed from the fortress and rather than lose this lucrative business, adapted to their running habits by following the trail and pack of runners outside the fortress. He would load his truck with cold beer and was waiting for the Harriers as they completed their running exercise.
From such simple beginnings has mushroomed a form of Monday evening physical and social activity that is followed in many parts of the free world with almost identical "tradition."
The "Hash" does have variations, from the "male only" Harriers, which are copies of the original (generally dominated by British and Australians) in places like Kuala LamPur, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Seoul to mixed or family hashes in Okinawa and Honolulu (where women may sometimes be in the majority.)
For more versions of this history, see the Hash House Harriers Home Page.
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UBF---simply stated "YOU BE
FUBAR'd"
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,A hare may put a "decision point" at all locations where there is more than one possible direction from a single trail.
Go back to the Arizona Larrikins Present the Mr. Happy's Pick-Up Hash House Harriers Home Page.
