In the scorching heat of summer, some people would rather stay inside their air-conditioned room, have a cool drink and idly watch television.
However, some are more into the idea of getting out of the city and running into the wild, or going hashing. No booking, just show up at the Caravelle Hotel in HCMC’s District 1 on 2 p.m. every Sunday and hop on the bus to join Hash House Harriers with other runners.
The bus will take you to different locations in the countryside around HCMC for a run or a power-walk. All you need to take along is a pair of comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and a change of clothes. In addition, you will need to pay the run fee which is VND180,000 for expatriates, and VND100,000 for locals.
According to the official website of Saigon Hash, the Hash House Harriers is an informal gathering of once-a-week runners. It started off in Kuala Lumpur in the late 1930s as a way for local expatriates to meet up and get some exercise. The name comes from the original meeting place, the Selang or Club’s annex which was known as the Hash House for its monotonous food, and the fact that the game is patterned after the traditional British race Paper Chase or Hares and Hounds in the late 1800s.
Since the 1960s, hashing has been spreading around the world as a kind of non-competitive running to promote physical fitness of its members. Originally an expatriates’ activity, the majority of hashes now cater to local residents.
Since hashing is by definition a disorganised activity, nobody really knows the true figures, but by the best estimates, there are several hundred thousand hashers running in around 2,000 hashes in 150 countries around the world.