Sometimes described as ‘drinking clubs with a running problem’, the Hash House Harriers form a worldwide family of social running clubs. The aim of running in this setup is not to win, but to merely be there and to take part. The first hash club was formed in Kuala Lumpur in 1938, and it’s now the largest running organisation in the world, with members in over 1,600 chapters in 180 countries.


Hashing consists of running, jogging or walking around varied courses, often cross-country, laid out by a couple of hares. It’s a fun way to keep fit and meet new people, as clubs are very sociable and the running is generally not competitive.