MH3, like all the other hashing clubs, is always known to the general public as a drinking club with a running problem. To counter the said wrong perception, it has since 1995 started an annual 10 km road run. Not surprisingly, most of its runners were able to complete it in the creditable time of around 1 hour.
It was a hazy afternoon. Itching for a long-awaited yearly road run, my partner and I arrived at the runsite early. As expected, a few early birds were already there. Among them were Dr. Pandirajah, Oil Rig Lim and Dr. Tan. Very soon we were joined by, to name a few, Yogi Bear, Bombastic, Websitekang, GM Cocker, Dr. Iqbal, Ngoh Kim Siah, Sweetie Pie, Rubbish Bui, Sharpshooter Robert, Kiasu Lee, Dennis the Menace, Carol, Vibrator, Biggles, Holly, Helen, Hawaii Goh, Nancy, Ranger and guests Anpalagan, Alistare and Govind. Most of us were getting prepared and waiting anxiously for the impending run.
It was at 5.40 pm that the impatience got the better of a few early birds who were more interested in starting the run leisurely early and coming back to the runsite early. Among them were Yogi Bear, Oil Rig Lim, Bombastic, Wendy, Wild Boar Nara and my partner. Led by Yogi Bear, they started walking on the tarred road on the right into an oil palm plantation which led to the new track.
It was at 6.00 pm sharp that GM Cocker flag-off the run. A pack of some 20 hashers took part. It was led by energetic Ranger and followed closely by Dr. Pandirajah, Dennis the Menace, Websitekang and Alistare. As an old cock, I just could not follow their fast pace but keep to my own comfortable pace. The track was on a flat and wide tarred road which led into an oil palm plantation. Some 500 meters away, the track turned left into a short stretch of muddy laterite road before joining another tarred road. It was then that I overtook Websitekang and Alistare. By then there were no sight of the 3 energetic front runners.
The run continued through a village where we were greeted by some villagers and proceeded north on a slope which is some 4 km from starting point. It was there that I was overtaken by energetic guest runner Anpalagan. From then on, the two of us were running together with him leading some 10 meters ahead of me. On the way, we overtook early bird Wild Boar Nara who was enjoying his stroll.
The run continued for the next 2 km when it hit the outer fencing of the Orna Golf & Country Club. It then turned left abreast the said outer fencing down slope and upslope before turning left where it hit a Y junction with no sign of direction to the home trail. From instinct, we followed the road on the left where we saw and overtook my early bird partner who was walking alone a short distance away. From then on, worried of her safety, I slowed down my pace and continued the remaining 3-km run which passed through a few farm houses. On the way, I overtook two pairs of early birds, namely, Yogi Bear and Wendy, and, Oil Rig Lim and Bombastic. On arrival at the runsite, I was delighted to be informed by time keeper Sharpshooter Robert that the time taken by me was 52 minutes and 34 seconds. My position was third after Dr. Pandirajah and Ranger. Credit should be given to hashing which I have been involved since 1972 when I first joined the Kuching Hash House Harriers in Sarawak.
While enjoying my drink, I was surprised to see the late emergence of front runner Dennis the Menace. Apparently he had taken the wrong track at the said Y junction. It then reminded me of my previous annual 10 km run at the same runsite in 2004 with Alistare which took me 1 hour 18 minutes and 55 seconds to complete some 14 km run after following the wrong track.
It is clear from the above recorded time that MH3 is not a drinking club with a running problem. On the contrary, it is a hashing club with creditable running ability. Credit should be given to ardent hashers such as Websitekang, Dr. Pandirajah, Cocker, Camel Loke, Pecker, Holly, Helen, Vibrator, Biggles and Ngoh Kim Siah for maintaining their running records in spite of their increasing ages and long years of hashing. Keep it up!
Hash circle was conducted by ex GM Vibrator. The 3 front runners were each awarded with a paper number plate hung on their necks and on-downed. In addition, a number of sinners were also on-downed.
On-On was held at the New Good World Restaurant in Melaka Raya. A total of 5 tables were fully occupied. A 6-course Chinese dinner was served with whisky and red wine supplied by kind hearted Wendy and Dennis the Menace respectively. The dinner was on the club for the members.
Credit should be given to the mismanagement committee for setting such a good run as well as providing the good dinner. On! On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 6th October, 2006.
