Networking on the run

Do you want to combine networking with some non-competitive running and plenty of humour? If so, the famously flippant and fun-loving Hash House Harriers (HHH) is the running club for you.

Weekend excesses

Originally founded in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ‘hashing’ was invented by a group of British colonial officials and expats looking to run off the weekend excesses on a Monday while simultaneously building up a thirst for more beer. The run was based on an old British public school game called ‘hare and hounds’. Essentially the ‘hounds’ chased the ‘hare’ by following the hare’s clues (bits of paper) to stay on track.

Chasing pack

Out of this, a global phenomenon evolved and today there are more than 2,000 chapters located in 1,330 cities in 185 countries. Wherever you go the basic premise remains the same: designated ‘hashers’ will lay-out a course with chalk, sawdust or colored flour for the hounds to follow. The runs are always non-competitive. In fact, the course will deliberately feature false trails and dead-ends to slow frontrunners down. Bonus extra: at the finishing line there will be a cold refreshing beer (and/ or water) with your name on it.

Variations on a theme

There are variations on the original theme, such as the famous ‘Red Dress Run’, in which both men and women don a red dress and run to raise money for local charities. There are also international hash meets. For people relocating, the beauty of hashing is that you can find chapters everywhere and plenty of locals also get involved. So if you are looking to network, enjoy a run and have some fun, check to see if there is a HHH chapter in your locality (there may be more than one – even Antarctica has two!).

Henk Dam
Global Connection

Adapted and edited from an original article, in Global Connection’s media for spouses (B2B subscription), on the subject of leisure.