Milestone worth toasting
ONE of the first noncompetitive social running clubs formed in Australia has reached a major milestone, with the Hobart Hash House Harriers celebrating its 50th anniversary.
To recognise the achievement the group organised a run yesterday at Ridgeway Oval — the site of the club’s first event.
The Hobart Hash House Harriers was one of two clubs in Australia to start 50 years ago.
A club in Sydney formed just days before.
Both cities have hosted runs and festivities to celebrate 50 years of hashing.
Celebrations for the anniversary started in Sydney a fortnight ago and last Wednesday the festivities moved to Hobart, where clubs from the area held runs on the days leading up to yesterday.
A lot has changed since one of Australia’s oldest Hash House Harriers clubs came together in Hobart, with the state now having 13 clubs including Burnie, Devonport, the Tamar Valley and the Huon Valley.
One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the culture of the Hash House Harriers and the 200 members who came from across Tasmania, interstate and overseas to run yesterday — all of them demonstrating the Hashers’ ethos.
“We have a lot of interesting characters,” Hobart Hash House Harriers member Haydyn Nielsen said.
“Some of our members are over 80 and still running with us. You get people from all different places and lifestyles but we all enjoy being together.
“I think that will be on display tonight.”
To cater for all the members that participated in yesterday’s event there were options between different runs or walks depending on their capabilities.
Running is only a small part of the experience of being a Hasher and yesterday’s celebrations proved that.
“We have buses taking all the members from the Derwent Sailing Squadron to the run and back again for some entertainment afterwards,” Mr Nielsen said.
“We will be having plenty of our drink, known as Hash Brew, which is a mix of beer and ginger beer after the run.
“There is a saying we use to describe us.
“We’re a drinking club with a running problem.”