Long before the Hash House Harriers existed, British runners took part in paper chases, also known as Hare and Hounds. A hare laid a trail using paper, and a pack of hounds followed it across the countryside. Harrier clubs grew from this tradition during the nineteenth century, combining cross-country exercise with the thrill of following a trail.
In 1938, a group of British expatriates in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, formed the original Hash House Harriers. Alberto Esteban Ignacio Gispert, known as “G,” is generally credited as the founder, alongside a small group of fellow runners. Their club mixed the trail-running traditions of harrier clubs with a deliberately social and non-competitive atmosphere.
The name came from the nickname of their dining club at the Selangor Club Annex: the “Hash House.” The original Kuala Lumpur kennel later became known throughout the hashing world as Mother Hash.
Mother Hash completed its 100th run in August 1941. Hashing was suspended in December 1941 during the Second World War and resumed in Kuala Lumpur in August 1946. The simple format survived: one or more hares mark a trail, and the pack works together to find and follow it.
When the Kuala Lumpur club formalized its registration in the early 1950s, its famously light-hearted objectives were to promote fitness, cure weekend hangovers, build a thirst and satisfy it with beer, and remind older members that they were not as old as they felt.
The first verified branch kennel was established in Singapore in 1962. Hashing then spread through Asia and onward to Europe, Australia, Africa, North America, South America and even Antarctica. Each kennel developed its own customs, but the basic idea remained recognizable everywhere: follow the trail, enjoy the circle and do not take the competition too seriously.
Modern trails may be laid with flour, chalk, paper or other markings and can wind through countryside, city streets, alleys and parks. Packs include runners, joggers and walkers. What connects kennels around the world is the combination of trail finding, fellowship, songs, humour and refreshments.
Historical reference: Ed “Hazukashii” Howell’s A Historical Review of the Hash House Harriers.
