Hash History

Hashing received its humble beginnings in 1938 from a Britisher named Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British paper chase or “hare and hounds”, to rid themselves of the excesses of the previous weekend.  

The original members included Albert Stephen, Ignatius “G” Gispert, Cecil Lee, Frederick “Horse” Thomson, Ronald “Torch” Bennett and John Woodrow. 

Gispert suggested the name “Hash House Harriers” after the Selangor Club Chambers, where several of the original hashers happened to live and dined. Which due to its lacklustre food was commonly referred to as the “Hash House”.

The hashing didn’t continue due to the slight inconvenience of the World War II. It was restarted in 1949 by Torch Bennett and others, minus A. S. Gispert, who died on 11 February 1942 in The Battle of Singapore. In 1962, Ian Cumming founded the second chapter in Singapore. The idea eventually spread through the Far East and the South Pacific, Europe, North America, expanding rapidly during the mid-1970s. 

Most countries including Antarctica now have an active chapter, with members distributing newsletters, haberdashery, and magazines and organising regional and world hashing events. 

The hash reached Bahrain in the year 1972 with the help of Geoff Whitehead. Who hared the inaugural run on 2-Dec-1972 near Jabal Ad Dukhan. During this time the Bahrain Hash has organised various social events, charity runs, beach clean up, desert dine out, and participated in various marathons even! And accidentally won a few trophies. In Dec 2022 Bahrain Hash House Harriers-BH3 completed 50 years and the spirit of hashing lives on.

The objectives of the Hash House Harriers as recorded on the club registration card dated 1950:

  • To promote physical fitness among our members
  • To get rid of weekend hangovers
  • To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
  • To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

The very first Hash announcement. 1972