Hash House Harriers: Putting the Word ‘Harrier’ Back Into Modern Usage Wednesday, April 29, 2009

In 1938, at the end of a hard week colonizing Malaysia, a group of British army officers and local expats had a group run. Fast-forward 70 years and people around the world still meet up to detoxify from their excesses, meet new drinking partners, or walk and chat down the street convincing themselves they are exercising. Yes, it is the confusingly-named Hash House Harriers.

HHH is a running group with branches in most of the world’s major cities, including London. If you’re a runner or you just want to meet new friends, you can pretty much be guaranteed a good time with these folks. You're saving money, getting fit, and being social. Generally the process goes like this: meet up at a pub, go for a run, then come back to the pub. There are usually people with endurance limits of all shapes and sizes, affording you the opportunity to either dash up front or maneuver your way into a tailwind for an easy coast. A small donation to cover Web site hosting costs is sometimes required. And nobody is saying you have to drink but, well, you are meeting at a pub. Still, HHH is far cheaper than getting a gym membership and probably friendlier as well.

There are multiple HHH groups within the London area. City Hash House Harriers operates within Zones 1 and 2. The London Hash House Harriers sometimes go a little further out of the city. Members of The London Bike Hash apparently didn’t fully understand the concept of running when setting up their chapter.

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