A group of young dynamic Sierra Leoneans from all walks of life will launch a new Hash Kennel in Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Hash House Harriers and Harriets (Sierra H4) announced during its inaugural run from 29th November to 1st  December 2024 at the Hotel Cabenda in Freetown.

The Sierra Hash House Harriers and Harrietes is a new, vibrant, community-based organisation that promotes health, friendship, and engagement through the sport called hashing.

Hashing is a non-competitive running and social activity with a strong global presence. Sierra Leone became a proud member of this organisation in the 1980s and has since actively participated in its unique and inclusive traditions.

The Hash House Harriers (HHH or H3) is an international group of non-competitive running social clubs.

The club will organise an event known as Hash Run, commonly known as Hashing, with participants calling themselves Hashers, comprising male members called Harriers, and females known as Harrietes.

The Hash is humorously known as A Drinking Club.

Hashing originated in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur by a group of British immigrants who began meeting on Friday evenings to run in a fashion patterned after the traditional British game hare and hound, in which one or two “hare” runners scatter a trail of cut paper for the “hounds” to track.

Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and finding the trail, Harriers reaching the end of the trail would partake of beer.

There are thousands of Hash kennels worldwide, with at least one in every city, including Freetown, and the formation of the Sierra H4 would change the Hashing culture for the better, meeting international hashing standards.

The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mr Bilal Bah said the primary objective of the Sierra H4 is to foster a meaningful and inclusive experience for participants to cultivate a strong sense of community by providing participants with meaningful interaction and networking meant to promote physical well-being and a healthy lifestyle, friendship and team building, educating participants on the global history and the significance of hashing while highlighting the organisation’s dedication to fostering an inclusive and social hashing culture.

Mr Bah further stated that the LOC has put in place all the necessary modalities to ensure that the ceremony meets international hashing standards and best practices.

He also noted that the event has attracted hashers from several international kennels registered to participate in the inaugural run.

‘We want to use hashing to promote Sierra Leone as a touristic destination for both local and international hashers,” he added.

The proposed event-filled programme will kick off with a “RED DRESS” Run on Friday, 29th November, at the Leonco Fuel station at Murray Town Road to the  beachfront, where the Minister of Tourism is expected to address hashers and the installation of the new kennel.

This will be followed by the main city run on Saturday, 30th November 2024, at the Central Business District of Freetown, with a theme on: “Rep u Culture” dinner at the Cabenda Hotel and a hangover run on Sunday, 1st December 2024.

This event is set to change the narrative about hashing in Sierra Leone and will spread the Hashing culture far and wide.

LOC Communications Lead