Hashing — it's mud, sweat and beers

February 1, 2007: More than 100 members and guests of a Truro, Cornwall-based “drinking club with a running problem” made a real hash of things when they took on a running challenge with a difference.

	l That's better! A hasher takes some Skinner's refreshment

With doctors, nurses, lawyers and teachers among many professions represented, members aged from six to 70 converged on the resort from all over Cornwall and as far afield as Yorkshire. It was the biggest event in the 23-year history of the Truro Hash House Harriers and was held to celebrate the club’s recent passing of its 1,000th run, or “hash”.

The “hashers,” in colourful and often bizarre surf-theme attire, amply demonstrated the three key membership qualifications – a liking for running, drinking and fun. With copious quantities of refreshment – including commemorative beer from main sponsor Skinners Brewery – they were well able to maintain a tradition that has its origins in Malaysia in 1938.

There are now nearly 300 hasher clubs in the UK and 1,500 worldwide, with Truro the second oldest in Cornwall. Liskeard-Looe is two years older and several hashers from that club were among those enjoying the Perranporth celebrations.

The main running event was on Saturday morning, when members split up into three groups to run distances from three to nine miles. Around a third of the participating hashers were from outside Cornwall.

As well as Skinners’ liquid input at start and finish, each route included essential pit stops at all six of Perranporth’s pubs. Many hashers also displayed their trademark tendency to become covered in mud en route.

HASH HISTORY
Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur when a small group of British colonial officials and expatriates, led by a British accountant, founded a running club called the Hash House Harriers. As bachelors, they were billeted in the Selangor Club Annexe, known locally as the Hash House, because of its monotonous food.

Puzzled onlookers were offered this explanation by club secretary Mark Hanson: “We enjoy a variety of benefits from our hashing, but essentially it’s mud, sweat and beer. It’s a great opportunity just to let our hair down by getting exercise, having fun, mucking about in mud, enjoying some drinks and not taking ourselves too seriously!”

Mark, a mobile satellite network operations specialist at Goonhilly Earth Station, added: “We normally run on a Sunday, from a different pub each week, which means we also get to see a different part of Cornwall every time and then wind up with a pub lunch. The alternative would be sitting around at home doing nothing.”

The Perranporth celebration was spread over three days, based at the Ponsmere Hotel, which was start and finish for the hashes. These also included a “hangover hash” on Sunday morning. The programme kicked off with a pasty supper on Friday evening, with a commemorative dinner and entertainment following 24 hours later. As a further reminder of the drinking element of membership qualifications, many members were bussed over to Truro on Saturday afternoon for a tour of Skinners Brewery.