Hash House
Harriers Run for Fun
Herald-Post
Heidelberg, Germany (US Armed Forces Newspaper)
July 18, 1991
By Teri Oaks
A group of runners slow don as
hey approach an intersection. They splinter off in
separate directions. The words “on, on”
penetrate the air and the runners bolt in the
direction which the words came.
The Heidelberg Hash House
Harriers are at it again, exercising in a most
peculiar way. For this running and social club, speed
is not the issue. In fact, the first one to finish
the run has the dubious honor of being last the next
run. That person acts as the “hashsweep,”
making sure everyone finishes.
The Hash House Harriers
originated in Kuala Lumpur in 1938, according to
Richard Dugan, assistant chief of the management
branch in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff,
Engineer and a hashmaster. The story goes that a
Briton tried sweating out a weekend bender by
running. Apparently it worked because he was joined
by a few mates the next time. They topped off the run
by going to a Chinese eating house they called
“the hash house” to have ice cold beer.
Gradually, the number of participants increased, the
distance was extended and a truck brought beer to the
finish point.
During World War II, the group
stopped running. An enthusiast brought back the club
afterwards and hashing has continued to grow in
popularity. During the 1960s hashing expanded to
Australia, where more clubs are found than anywhere
else except Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Hashing
is also one of the fastest growing sports in the
United States.
Today, hashes are found around
the world. Dugan says there may be around 3,000
clubs. Known as the “Underlubber”, at
hashes, Dugan has participated in hashes in Japan and
Korea. Dugan got his name because he worked for
another hasher “Landlubber” who ran in the
same group.
Although the club roster
carries 85 members, about 20 to 30 people participate
in runs once a week, alternating on Sunday and
Monday. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clay Kelley, Asst.
Chief of Staff for Logistics at Headquarters, 1st
Personnel Command, says that's the beauty of the
organization. Members participate when they want to
and are not pressured to show up for every run. There
are some members who don't miss a hash, however, like
Kelley, know as “Slippery Seaman” in the
hash (Kelley got the name because he once sailed from
Japan to Taiwan to run in a hash).
A veteran hasher of ten years
Kelley and his wife, “More Leggs” (Karla
Kelley, an occupational therapist with the
Exceptional Family Member Program at the 130th
Station Hospital) met at a hash in South Carolina
five years ago. They had a hash wedding in November
1989.
Hash procedures vary from club
to club, said Slippery Seaman. The Heidelberg club
appoints two people called hares who get a 15 minute
head start and lay a trail with hash, a combination
of flour and sawdust. The biodegradable substance
washes away in the rain. The runners follow the trail
and try to catch up with the hares. The hares are
wily, however, and lay bad trails to throw runners
off.
The runners have a few tricks
of their own. As Dirty Dancer (Jim Pattison with the
Civilian Personnel Office) put it, “there are no
rules in hashing.” Once Dirty Dancer laid a
complicated trail in a hilly, wooded area. The pack
lost the trail, he said, but saw him in the distance
as he laid a switchback. Having spotted the hare, the
hashers cut through the woods and caught him.
At the end of the run, there is
a social gathering called an “on-on.” While
some hashers prefer the traditional beer, others
drink nonalcoholic beverages. Whatever the choice,
the Heidelberg club ensures it will be waiting at the
end of the trail.
“Down-downs” are
usually drunk to commemorate the hares, the newbies,
and all others who may have “accomplished
something.” For instance, the Heidelberg Hash
House Harriers bestow a name upon a new member after
the completion of six runs. The name usually has
something to do with the runner's appearance,
personality, or a hobby.
Some hash clubs cater to males
or females, but the Heidelberg club is coed. It's
more fun that way, according to Underlubber. As the
Hash house Harriers expand and adjust to societal
changes, one thing will always be constant – fun
and good company. Some members may seem a little
crazy too. As a member of the Hong Kong Hash said:
“If you have half a mind to join the hash,
that's all you need.”