What is Hashing?
Sounds almost illegal, doesn't it? But really, it may be the perfect combination of exercise, social interaction and, well, beer. We are runner, but without a great emphasis on speed. Hence the slogan "Drinkers with a running problem". (Maybe it should be Drinkers with a bi-oedal locomotion problem", as several membes walk rather than run.)

The Original Hash House Harriers....
In 1938, A.S. Gispers, an accountant working at a Malaysian rubber plantation organized a group of his friends for runs to work off the rigors of the weekend. They met at the Sanegal Hash House (has house being a british term for a diner), and there, played the poor mans version of the fox hunt, the "Paper chase". This involved giving one runner a few minutes head start, then following the trail of discarded paper left by the fleeing man. "G" (er, Gispert), added a twist; at various points in the trail, an intersection was set. Trail could head off in any direction, but only one direction was 'true'. Faster runners were slowed as they solved the trail, allowing slower runners (or walkers) to catch up. The Hash House Harriers were born.

Hashing in Richmond
There are, literally, thousands of Hash House Harrier groups in the world today. The Richmond Hash House Harriers meet once a week. During the Fall and Winter months, we meet on Sundays at 3:00 pm. During the Spring and Summer, we run on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm.
Directions to the Next Hash <------------Click Here

Is it for me?
The trail can be one of the most exciting parts of a hash run. Rather than running laps around a local track, be prepared to run through fields and woods, ford streams and jump fences. During the spring and summer months, you may even run into some briars or poison ivy, so be protected!!! Your time on trail might be 45 minutes to an hour and a half. But relax, this doesn't mean flat out sprinting, (you might often be waiting at an 'intersection' for others to find a way), and there is almost always a refreshing 'beer check' (possibly two) through the course.

Sex
Yes, please :) Oops.. er... Hashing in Richmond, VA is for both males and females, but because we often end the runs in taverns, Hashing is restricted to adults (21 and over please). The hash is a fun group, but far from politically correct. We have drinking songs, mostly stolen from the rugby groups, which would make many respectable people blush. A good sense of humor may be the hash's only real requirement.

The Down-Down
After finishing the trail, the Down-Down commences. The Down-Down is both the celebration at the end of the trail, and the award handed out to hasher guilty of some "mis-deeds". A Down-Down is a cup of drink, be it beer, soda, or water, awarded by the GM (Grand Master {male} or Mattress {female} ) for trail infractions, anniversaries, or any other reason brought up. A drinking song accompanies each, it is all great fun.

How do I Join?
Show up!! Your first "run" is FREE! After that, Richmond requests $5 per person to help withthe cost of beer. If you attend the On-After (dinner party after the run), you are expected to chip in for food. There is no annual or commitment (however, year memberships are available). Show up as often or seldom as you like. Keeping in mind that missing two hashes in a row (know as "slacking") is cause for a down down.