History of the Sarajevo Hash House Harriers
The Hash began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1938 when a bunch of mostly expatriates led by Albert Ignatius Gispert - or "G" as he was known - began a hare and hounds paper chase on a Monday evening following which they would enjoy a few beers around the "bucket" before retiring to some establishment for a meal. This regular event was interrupted by World War Two and "G" was unfortunately killed in Singapore with all trace of his family connections lost.
The Hash was restarted after the war by stalwarts "Horse" Thompson, "Torch" Bennet and Cecil "Curly" Lee plus a few others. As you will see, nicknames were almost de rigueur in those days. A small splinter group rose and fell in Italy however it wasn't until 1969 that a second substantial Hash was established in Singapore. Thereafter, with bankers, accountants, engineers and others being posted around the region, they set up other chapters until there were around fifty groups in the mid-seventies.
The HASH HOUSE HARRIERS is a social club of runners that have been described as "a drinking club with a running problem." Ex-pat British businessmen, accountants, lawyers, civil servants, etc., started the HASH in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a club based on the old English game of hares and hounds where one or two members would be given several minutes head start and would drop shredded paper as the "scent". The hounds would then follow, after the prescribed time, and attempt to catch the hares. The hares would lay the trail in a straight or obvious line, but then would stop laying trail and run off in another direction and begin laying the trail after 100 meters or so. When the hounds discovered that they were no longer on trail, they would fan out in all directions in search of the "scent" and would call to the others when the trail was once again discovered. The founder of the HASH, A. S. "G" Gispert, in 1937 discovered the Springgit Harriers, one of the paper chase clubs, in Malacca. He introduced Ronald "Torch" Bennett to the concept and the stage was set. When "G" returned to Kuala Lumpur in 1938, he became a member of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Reserves, which trained on Mondays. "G" and many of the other ex-pat Brits were housed in barracks in the Royal Selangor Club where he and "Torch" would often discuss starting a harrier club in KL (Kuala Lumpur). Finally in about December of 1938, "G" convinced about a dozen others to follow his inaugural paper trail. Gispert then suggested the name of HASH HOUSE HARRIERS in mock allusion to the mess at the Selangor Club, where many of them dined. The runs were held Monday evenings after reserve training and were followed by refreshment of Tiger beer. A. S. "G" Gispert was killed in battle defending Singapore from the Japanese at 0400 hours 11 February 1942. The HASH has grown from those humble beginnings to include thousands of chapters and tens of thousands of hashers worldwide.
Much of the information presented above comes from the book "On On! Run #2 Hash House Harriers 1938-1992" by Harrier International and the late Tim "Magic" Hughes, Phhh.D.Webmaster note: This material was taken from other hash pages. Thanks to all who let me steal it.
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Date Event
1938 - Kuala Lumpur H3 (Mother Hash) founded
1962 - Singapore H3 founded
1967 - Dhekelia H3 - first hash in Europe
1967 - Sydney H3 - first Hash in Australia
1971 - Fort Eustis H3 - first Hash in the North America
1971 - Westcombe Park H3 founded - oldest Hash in UK
1973 - KL H3 1500th run - 35 other Hashes "known" to exist
1974 - Bicester H3 founded
1975 - Surrey H3 founded
1976 - London H3 founded
1977 - 90 Hashes known in 35 countries
1984 - Harrier International founded
1986 - 555 Hashes known in 85 countries
1988 - 700 Hashes known in 125 countries15 Dec 1997 Sarajevo Hash founded by Stanley 'Panama' Dunn, Wayne 'Wankee Doodle' Butler, and Susan 'Short Hare' Kosinski