Shanghai Tianjin Hash House Harriers to Visit Ningbo

Yes the Tianjin H3 organisation will visit Ningbo on Saturday 31st July 2010 for their monthly run and social evening. The full details are not yet know only that the group of around 40 people will arrive around 13.30 and then proceed on their run (jog, walk, amble) around some beautiful countryside close to Ningbo. This will be followed by dinner in a local restaurant and free flow beer and soft drinks.

If you are interested in joining in this very social event please contact Eric for more details. Telephone 139 893 05 893 or e-mail: cencomint@xtra.co.nz 

So what are the Hash House Harriers, commonly just know as HASH?

The Hash is now a worldwide organisation involving over 10,000 Groups and maybe 200,000 members. It operates in about 180 countries but does not have any formal officials, membership or rules. The first Hash was established in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur by a group of Ex-Pat British who used to go out eating and drinking most evenings to what they called the Hash House (old English for Restaurant). After several liquid weekends, nothing changes in ex-pat life, a gentleman Gispert, normally know as 'G' suggested they should all go for a run on the Monday in order to dispense with the excesses of the weekend and prepare the body for the coming week. The run followed a basic 'Hare and Hounds' format and on the return to the restaurant dinner and more beer followed. This first group ran in KL for many years and it was sometime later, maybe around 1948 that the next Hash emerged in Singapore. Growth was fairly slow until the late 1960's and early 70's when Hash blossomed to what it is now. The original Hash House still exists, as the Royal Selengor Club, and they are rightly proud of their initial involvement.

As from the start each new Hash sets runs in exactly the same way but follow their own 'traditions' as they are no rules. Runs vary between 6Km and 10 Km but it is not a race and everybody who participates gets to the finish in whatever manner, running, jogging, walking or ambling or even just staying back and waiting with the beer. The Hash is now commonly known as a 'Running Club with a drinking problem' or a 'Club for Alcoholics with a running problem'. After each run a 'Circle' is held where new comers are welcomed, announcements made and any transgressions are followed with a fine, usually a cold drink! Every two years an 'Inter Hash' is held, most recently last week in Kunchin, Borneo where there were over 4000 participants from all over the world. Many countries also hold Nash Hash, or a national event again on a 2 year cycle.

Everyone is welcome regardless of fitness, age or drinking habits, some of the members in Dubai still only drink water, so there is nothing stopping you from joining. No membership fee is charged and there is just a weekly fee to participate. Hashers often have 'nicknames' as this prevents to much talk about individuals, mine being 'Bwana' meaning Boss in Swahili.

Interested in more then please make contact. On On Bwana