Hash House Harriers

I have encountered jerks in my life, but these people are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. They came to the town of Kernville recently and ran all around on a friend of mine’s property without permission, leaving their obnoxious piles of white powder all over the place. Private property is supposed to mean something in this country and so are fences and No Trespassing signs, but they don’t mean a thing to these idiots. The Duke loves a good time, but seeing grown men running around in Tutus with their sunburned derriers hanging out and thumbing their noses at property owners is just not amusing.

I have been hashing for 8 years, they are MUCH more than just a running group. I consider them my best friends and family, we go hiking, camping, drinking together every week. AND there is a group in EVERY MAJOR CITY in the world.
They are a drinking club with a running problem, and they are friggin kickass.
Love–
Gorilla Whorefare

«People who viewed this also viewed La Brea Collective and Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles.» That suggestion says everything about the great minds of LA Hash members. Now I know what you’re thinking: «Hash? Oh, that’s gotta’ be spurious!» And that’s exactly what I thought, but this non-​smokable Hash is quite different.
A self-​proclaimed «drinking group with a running problem», the Hash House Harriers is one of the largest exercise networks on the globe. Indeed, the description makes zero sense until you realize that 3H is exactly what it says it is: a group of people who drink and run. (Or is it run and drink?) The concept was born to expats in Malaysia who adopted the concept from an English children’s game called «Hare and the Hounds». Adapted, the modern Hash is described as «a state of mind – a friendship of kindred spirits joined together for the sole purpose of reliving their childhood or fraternity days, releasing the tensions of everyday life, and generally, acting a fool amongst others who will not judge you or measure you by anything more than your sense of humor,» by Hasher, «Stray Dog».
Before you get your pantalones in a bunch about the notion of «drinking» and «running», let’s be clear: there is NO obligation to imbibe spirits, and people aren’t getting sloppily lit either. (Err… Well…)
The entire object is to follow a trail set by a «Hare» who leaves plops of flour or chalk along the trail to signify a jogging route. Along the trail are motivational markers, like «BN» or «Beer Near» to let runners know that they are approaching either a bar w/​an open tap or a cooler of refreshments. Because the objective is to get to a final destination, where a full-​on party of more liquid treats await, there is just enough time to chug & get back on-​foot. By the time the next destination is reached, every calorie of the last Beck’s has been converted to fuel. My favorite events are ones that end at cantinas since I’m not much of a beer person, but the majority of «Hashes» lead to recreation areas; rarely, Hashers end up at people’s pads.
Mandatory foreknowledge: The 3H is not for the thin-​skinned. The theme of every Hash is political incorrectness & the «freedom» to be downright derogatory in being so. The group sings original (ahem) compositions, replete with language that makes the prude in me blush. (Oh, fine. You’ve got me. I haven’t a prude bone in my skeleton.)
Each runner earns a Hash name, which is a necessary cover when you consider that most are actually well-​established professionals and heavyweights who prefer not to Hash & work at the same time.
Even if you never join a Hash (and they take place daily, in cities all over the globe), you know the inside scoop on those awkward mounds of flour you sometimes see along streets or hiking trails.
«On, on!»

I’m about to run my first Hash House Harriers event (Bay to Breakers) this weekend in San Francisco. I’ll let you know how it goes. Kilt… check. Beer… check. Okay all set.