Hashing from Audlem on Saturday!

I was approached on the Public Hall car park yesterday and told about the forthcoming Potteries Hash.

No – I've never heard of it either, but it's running from the car park in Audlem at 1.00pm on Saturday 28th of November.

Essentially, it is a group of runners following a trail of blobs of flour. The organiser told me about it because at past events they've had people reporting suspicious blobs of white powder, fearing that they may be Ricin, Anthrax spores or goodness knows what.

In order to avoid this mistake being made next week, it would be nice to publicise the event.

Here's what they say about the sport on their own web site:

So what is HASHING?Hashing is a fun, social running activity for the fit and not so fit. A trail of about 5 – 6 miles (with shortcuts often possible) is marked with blobs of flour by the "Hares". Trails normally follow a mixture of country footpaths, quiet roads and parklands.

There are "Checks" marked at roughly 1/4 mile intervals from which there are several possible ways for the trail to go. Front runners explore the alternative ways until the real trail is identified; meanwhile the slower Hashers can catch-up and/or rest. Fast and slower runners finish together.

Hashing is not a race, the aim being for everyone to take as much exercise as they wish and for the slow and fast participants to be in close proximity throughout. There is even an alternative option for walkers who want to be involved but who don't feel quite up to this running lark.

Trails usually start and finish at a pub, where it is customary for Hashers to linger awhile on their return, quench their thirst and offer the Hare their opinion of his/her skill in setting the trail.

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