Hash running in Bangkok: what it is and where to join

Long before Instagram run clubs, Bangkok had the hash. Hash House Harriers groups — "kennels" — have been running in the city for decades, and there's one for almost every day of the week. If you like the idea of running through back streets and countryside you'd never find on your own, followed by a beer, this is for you.

What is a hash?

The Hash House Harriers started in Kuala Lumpur in 1938 and spread around the world. The format is a paper chase: one or two "hares" set off first and lay a trail of paper or flour marks; the "pack" follows. The trail includes false trails and checks, so fast runners regularly go the wrong way and the pack stays together. Hashes famously call themselves "a drinking club with a running problem": every run ends with drinks, food and a "circle" of songs and light-hearted rituals.

What to expect on your first hash

• Any pace is fine. Walkers are welcome, and the checks give everyone time to regroup.
• A small run fee (typically a couple of hundred baht at most) covers drinks and snacks after.
• Wear old shoes. Trails go through fields, mud and the occasional canal-side path.
• Bring a torch for evening hashes — part of the run may be after dark.
• Check the website for each week's start point, which changes every run.

Every hash in Bangkok

All Bangkok hashes are mixed except the Saturday Bangkok H3, which is men-only. The Thursday and Fullmoon hashes start next to a BTS or MRT station, so they're the easiest to reach without a car.