Please donate generously to Cancer Research : https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Dan-Thompson11
Please like / follow Run the World on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter
Date : 27th October, 2019
Time : 1h 24’ 28”
Number of runners (total to date) : 30 (6436)
Run map and details : https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4203660122
As regular readers will be aware, I’ve had the pleasure of running with hashers all over the world including in Holland, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Estonia, Antigua, St Kitts & Nevis, Azerbaijan, Dominican Republic, Austria and London. (For anyone’s who’s interested, the Ghana blog includes the hash origin story and the basics of how it all works.)
Whether I’m joining an actual hash, or just running with hashers, I’ve always had a warm welcome so, as I was in Berlin for the weekend, I thought I’d try the local hash.
There were 30 of us at the start at Nordbahnhof and three routes to choose from – a running route, a walking route and a ‘taking it easy’ trail.
Now, every hash is different and the Berlin hash was slightly unusual (in my experience) in that the running route was by far the most popular. And plenty of the runners ran at a fair pace. Which was great for me as I’ve got an 7 country trip coming up and I need the training or I won’t get through all the runs and travel.*
The route even took us up a proper thigh trembler of a climb
to a disused anti-aircraft missile site. Which was perfect for views over Berlin, a hash flash or two
and even a spot of booty shaking…
And just to reassure anyone who might be interested in hashing but isn’t so keen on running fast: hashes are deliberately designed with check points where you have to cast around for the trail. Which has the happy effect of ensuring that the pack regroups on a regular basis and that the FRBs don’t get separated from the rest.
Including searching around for the trail, I’d run a little over 8 km by the time we got back to Nordbahnhof. I therefore needed to run a further 2 km and headed off to the nearby Mauerpark to complete my 10 km in what had been no man’s land at the centre of the wall . (If you’ve any interest in the Berlin Wall and post war history/ politics then the Mauerpark is highly recommended.)
10 km finished, I joined the circle. Many songs (the Berlin hash has a particularly inventive repertoire) and many ‘down downs’ (punishments involving downing beer) ensued. My crimes deserving of down downs included being a visitor ; not wearing any hash gear ; being ‘just Dan’ (i.e. not having a hash name) ; and pointing with my figure in breach of hash etiquette that hashers point with their elbows. (Alcohol free beer was available for anyone who for health / religious / other reasons wanted to avoid alcohol.)
I’ve talked a bit in this blog about how the Berlin hash differs from other kennels I’ve run with. But in the most important ways it’s like every other hash I’ve ever come across. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and it genuinely felt like a family. If I lived in Berlin I’d be a regular!
Thank you to to Phil and Dee for hosting me for the weekend in Berlin and thank you to every member of the Berlin hash – it was a pleasure meeting you and I’d love to see you all in London on 4th July 2020 for the UK, and final, leg of Run the World!
If you’d like to help fight cancer then I and, far more importantly, cancer sufferers around the world, would be immensely grateful for any donations to Cancer Research : https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Dan-Thompson11
Please like / follow Run the World on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter because it would be great to stay in touch and because, however silly it may sound, it makes all the travel and running that little bit easier if you think people care!
*I’m currently undertaking a challenge – Run the World – to complete a 10 km run in all 206 countries in the world. I’m running the world to raise funds for Cancer Research and promote the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle.
dansgoldchallenge 