Still strong after 2,000 hash runs
GEORGE TOWN: He is 78 years old and needs a walking stick to move around, but Lionel Rajamoney is not letting age nor time stop him from joining the Penang Hash House Harriers (PHHH) for the weekly run.
The former state athletics coach said he continues with the activity as he enjoys the company of old friends, cold drinks and hot food at the end of each run.
He admits he can no longer keep the pace or hike like before and would return to the meeting spot if the route has to pass through hilly ground.
“I still enjoy walking and joining my fellows in the hash,” he said after taking part in his 2,000th PHHH run at the Penang Botanical Gardens recently.
Lionel was assisted at that time by his son and he also helps plan the route for the weekly Monday run.
Even though he can no longer run or hike as before, he noted planning the route was also counted as participation.
“God-willing, I hope to be able to make my 2,001st and 2,002nd run,” said Lionel who started joining hash runs in 1973.
The hash house harriers is a group of non-competitive social runners where the runs are known as “hash” and routes are set by a “hare”.
The activity originated in 1938 in Selangor when a group of British Colonial officers met on Monday to run which eventually morphed into a social activity.
There are hundreds of hash house harriers chapters worldwide with the one in Penang being the seventh oldest chapter in the world after being formed in 1965.
A typical run usually lasts between 45 minutes to 90 minutes and has about 40 to 60 participants.