Hashing has been confusing people, entertaining runners, and producing questionable songs for generations.
The Singapore Hash House Harriets are part of that tradition, with our own Wednesday rhythm of trail, circle, food, friendship, and mild chaos.
Hashing began as social trail running
A hare lays a mystery trail. The pack follows it, gets briefly lost, finds the way back, then gathers for circle and On On. It is part sport, part puzzle, part social recovery.
Harriets made space for women-led hashing
Harriets kennels brought more women into the centre of Hash life, from trails and circles to committee roles and social leadership.
Singapore keeps the tradition alive
The Harriets carry the spirit forward with Wednesday trails, mixed pace groups, visitors, songs, food, and a social culture that keeps people coming back.
A short version of a long story
The Hash idea
A non-competitive trail, usually set by hares, followed by a circle and social On On.
The Harriets spirit
Women-led, social, cheeky, welcoming, and not trying too hard to behave like a normal running club.
Singapore Wednesdays
A regular midweek trail for people who want movement, nonsense, community, and dinner plans handled in one go.
Still evolving
The traditions stay, but the welcome keeps improving: clearer first-timer info, shorter circles, better hare support, and more ways to join in.
How the Singapore Harriets began
The Singapore Hash House Harriets began in October 1973, when a small group of Hash widows decided that if the men were coming home muddy, sweaty, late, and suspiciously happy, there might be something worth investigating.
The first run was held at Dover Road on 17 October 1973, with around 12 women turning up after plenty of phone calls and persuasion. They survived the trail, enjoyed themselves, and came back the next week. Then the week after that. That was enough to start a tradition.
“Women wanted their own Hash, their own space, and their own way of doing things.”
Early accounts credit Caryl Gurney as the founder and first Grand Hash Mistress. The first run was organised with help from several Harriers, but the intention was clear: the women wanted their own Hash, their own space, and their own way of doing things.
The early Harriets were not trying to create a polished running club. They were building a social trail group with mud, checks, On Ons, home-hosted meals, beer logistics, newsletters, arguments, friendships, and the occasional deeply questionable menu. One early account mentions “curry smorgasbord and draught”, which tells you almost everything you need to know.
In those days, men could join only by invitation or as accompanied guests. The point was not to exclude for the sake of it, but to make sure the Harriets remained women-led. Early notes repeatedly reminded the men not to take over the checking or the pace. As one 1976 reminder put it: the men could help with dogs, rivers, and keeping the pack moving, but “It’s a Ladies’ Hash.”
Over time, the club grew from a small group into a regular Wednesday institution. By the mid-1980s, the Harriets were already celebrating major milestones, including the 13th birthday and 700th run, with larger celebrations attracting hundreds of hashers.
Today, the spirit is still recognisable: a trail, a pack, a circle, songs, food, visitors, returnees, and a bit of organised disorder. The details have changed. The point has not.
Explore more
Past Runs
Look back through old run records, hares, locations, occasions, and reports.
Songs
Circle songs are part of Hash history. Some are old, some are updated, and some should probably stay retired.
Past Mismanagement
Browse the archive of previous committee roles and the people who took one for the team.
Be part of the next bit
The best way to understand the Harriets is not to read the history. It is to come along, follow trail, and become part of the story.