For a group that has been around for more than 70 years, established itself in every country on the planet and run countless miles, the Hash House Harriers don't take themselves too seriously. Between obscene nicknames, races in drag and endless quantities of alcohol, a Hash run can feel more like a reunion of a fraternity—which is exactly the positive attitude the group wants to cultivate.
It's a counterbalance to serious running—there's a certain amount of goofiness,\ Nut Farmer said, in what must be the understatement of the decade.
The sport of hashing first began in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where a British soldier named A.S. Gispert founded a running club from his fellow colonial officers. Named the Hash House Harriers after the slang name for their cafeteria, the Selangor Club, the group designed their runs after the traditional British paper chase where one runner—the hare—sets a trail while a pack of other runners—harriers—follows his clues to locate a tub of iced beer.
""Basically, a bunch of British soldiers thought that instead of being hot and sweaty, walking around would be a better alternative,"" Slow Hand Dick said.
Since then, the sport has expanded to include more than 1,500 Hash groups worldwide, with branches in every country in the world—even two in Antarctica.
To become a Hasher, there are no physical requirements beyond simply showing up. Some hashers are skilled runners—Woodrow Johnson finished an Iron Man and at least two others have competed in marathons—while others, like 72-year-old Running Disaster, haven't visited a gym in months.
The Hash runs are designed to build camaraderie between participants, an action supported by obscene nicknames. Hashing names, which are awarded to Hashers who complete a few runs, come from either funny stories (such as ICUF who walked in on a ‘romantic' couple), job description (Organ Grinder, who works in biology) and the democratic process of yelling names out until one sticks.
""You get people drunk, they come up with stuff,"" Blowfish said.
Madison's chapter, which was founded in 1977 by a legendary Hasher known as Prince Variant, is currently the ""second or third largest"" Hash in the United States with at least 20 members. Its membership is fairly varied, ranging from doctors and graduate students to a renowned UW-Madison scientist who runs under the pseudonym Organ Grinder.
According to Mouse Beater, Madison's Hash population used to consist of a large population of graduate students, but most of them have graduated and moved out of the state.
""We had more PhD's than DUI's—that's our goal,"" Mouse Beater said.
In addition to the weekly Madison Hash runs, local runners also contribute to national and international Hashes. Currently, Madison's group has members preparing to attend Hash runs in Mexico and southeast Asia.
With a diverse spread of runs, locations and members, it is likely that the Hashers have no hope of or desire to slow down anytime soon—especially if the beer keeps flowing.
The group meets every Saturday at 3:30 p.m. For more information on Hash runs, visit http://www.angelfire.com/wi/madisonhash.
\
