Join us for the Easter Hash Run
& Children's Easter Treat Hunt

Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 11:00am
KVCC Texas Township

The 2010 Easter Hash and Children's Easter Treat Hunt run will be held March 20, 2010 at 11:00 am at KVCC Texas Township, beginning near the Advanced Technology Center. Adult runners follow markers to explore maze like trails covering three, four, five miles or more while preschool children run approximately1/2 mile of trails, and older children explore 1 mile of trails scattered with Easter treats. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments, courtesy of Subway, and door prizes will be provided at the conclusion of the run.

New this year, the Easter Hash is adding a charitable focus by collecting funds and gifts in kind for Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes. Participants may donate online when they register, or bring gifts in kind or check/cash donations to the event itself. Loaves & Fishes current needs are:

• Canned meats and meat based products (tuna, beef stew)
• Ravioli
• Fruit juice

Download Registration and Entry Form (PDF)

-OR-

Online Registration available below

Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for the March 20, 2010 Easter Hash Run and Children's Easter Egg Hunt Hash at KVCC Texas Township. Opportunities include:

• Assistance setting up the trail Friday evening - 1
• Set up, tear down and help with the kids Easter Treat Hunt - 4
• Refreshment and Registration Table - 2-4
• Tear down - 2-4 (can be same volunteers as above for refreshments)

Contact Peggy Zeeb at pzeeb2000@yahoo.com if you can volunteer. Club members earn 10 KAR Volunteer Points!

Hash Runs Explained
Hash Runs originated in British Malaysia in 1938 when a group of British Colonels and expats would meet to run, combining liquid replenishment with the social and physical aspects of running.

Formally dubbed the Hash House Harriers, the club's runs featured a "hare" which would go out and mark the trail for the "hounds" to follow. The trail would be marked to show the way, but would often include false trails to mislead the frontrunners, force them to retrace their steps and join those following behind them. Hounds would work their way through the trails marked by the hare, until they reached the end where they would be rewarded with adult beverages. Identifying short cuts was part of the fun - the goal was to make it to the end and indulge in the refreshments awaiting them. There are now more than 2000 hash chapters or "kennels" as they are called, throughout the world today.

Hash runs have evolved throughout the years, with some chapters continuing to focus on the social aspects, while others focus on the physical wellness and running. They all provide an opportunity to run, with a social gathering at the end. Various hash chapters each celebrate their own traditions.

The Kalamazoo Area Runners hash runs traditionally have focused on physical wellness, and like other hash runs, incorporate a social gathering at the end, albeit geared with a family focus in mind. For the adults, the hare lays out a challenging maze like course through the woods with ribbons, chalk, paint or another marker. Runners, or hounds, navigate their way through the woods, often encountering nodes where the trail splits, and markers lead down more than one trail. Runners have to identify the "true" trails to find their way to the end; the total distance one will cover during the search is hard to predict as runners sometimes wander off course.

* Kalamazoo Area Runners does not endorse any specific political or religious viewpoint of partners, sponsors, and benefiting organizations.