Welcome to Episkopi Hash House Harriers
Winter Runs are Back! Runs Start at 1530hrs.
The Episkopi Hash is one of the last gentlemen only hashes left in the world. Why gentlemen only? Well, initially when founded in 1967 by three military types from Episkopi base that was the norm for hashes. Now most of our members are of retirement age and are driven out of the house each Tuesday to give our Harriets time to themselves. How many marriages we have saved is incalculable !!
We are these days very much an informal group of mates who meet every Tuesday afternoon for a little exercise and socialising afterwards. We are, of course, always eager to meet new mates who fancy a bit of exercise. We run, jog or walk in the beautiful Cyprus countryside for around 5 km. Following a pre-laid route, known as a trail, and this is designed for most levels of fitness – shortcutting is allowed and indeed encouraged by the hares who control the run.
The run or walk takes about 45 mins. In the summer and an hour in the winter but is rarely on flat terrain as we avoid like the plague, any tarmac or built up areas.
Hashing as it is known began in the 1930’s amongst ex-pats in the Far East who decided that they needed to take some exercise and so began the phenomenon which grew into 3000 clubs worldwide. Essentially it is a paper chase and you might have done one at school or seen it like me in "The Railway Children". However to make it non-competitive and ensure that it caters for most levels of fitness hares go out the day before the hash and lay 2 trails one for the runners, joggers and plodders and one for the walkers. Then the participants (hounds) follow one of these trails, with guidance (shortcuts) being given as required by the hares.
The whole emphasis of a Hash is to exercise in an informal way without any competitive pressures and then to relax afterwards with mates over a nice cool beer or soft drink. After a suitable time of taking refreshments at the end of the run/walk we always go to a taverna for a local meal to round off the day. Being such a social club, we throughout the year, have a range of events that include our Better Halves be they on the beach (we know many deserted ones) or up in the hills. These events are either catered or we bring picnics.
The Annual Run Stats for 2022 are in!
Click Run Stats 2022
Hash Words does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in the Stats unless written on the back of a €20 note!!!
The Inauguration of the 56th On Pres' Marshall Hughes.
Summer Runs with the Hash!
Marshall Hughes On Pres' #56 Missive #4
The King is dead…..long live the King!
As the end of my tenure as On Pres approaches, it seems appropriate to reflect upon the events and statistics of the last year. I have personally delivered 48 weekly crits, and my absences whilst overseas were covered by 12 different members. We have held 5 Open Runs including the annual ‘Brighton Shiverers’ New Years Day run/swim, The Easter Sunday run and a special 55th Anniversary Run which, in true Hash tradition, went ahead despite adverse weather conditions. This year we also raised and donated over 700 euros to charitable causes.
Our after-run ‘chop’ has taken us to 16 different venues with the most popular taverna being Antonis in Avdimou with Michelle's and the Ouzeraki in Erimi being joint second. Sadly, we said farewell to Michaels Taverna as he decided to retire after 33 years at the helm of this old Hash favourite. Conversely, we tried out four new venues, The 3 Keys in Episkopi, Erimi Kitchen, The Hamlet in Aki and Stalla’s in Alektora. Over the year, inflation has led to an inevitable increase in our chop price. What is perhaps more surprising is the fact that we managed to maintain the same price for 15 years since Cyprus joined the euro in 2008! Our well-attended Christmas Dinner went ahead at the Hillview; thanks to Mike Woods for organising this.
We have hosted 55 different guests to our weekly runs over the course of the year from as far afield as the Bahamas and Australia. Guests of members and any visiting hashers are always warmly welcomed at the Epi Hash. Sadly, we also bade farewell to two members, Nick O’Callaghan and Nev Rushton who returned to the UK. As always, we had a number of overseas ‘returning members’ who swelled our ranks and are always very welcome. The ‘Father of the Hash’, Colin Garland celebrated his 90th birthday this year. On On Colin.
Hashes cannot exist without Hares and our Runmaster, Tony Flower, has done a great job this year of keeping us supplied with athletes to lay the trails for our runs and walks. Notable mentions here are Simon, Jim, Nogsie and On Pres, all of whom have done more than 15 hares in a 12-month period. We have averaged 18 runners each week over the last year.
The topics for my weekly crits have varied widely from the sombre to the nonsensical. After celebrating the Platinum Jubilee with an excellent beach run in June, we sadly marked the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September. Topics for the lighter crits have ranged from wife swapping to unicorns and have involved the delivery of more than 800 jokes, stories and recitations. All were received with customary Hash heckling and good-natured banter.
Finally, I would like to thank and pay tribute to the team who have supported me throughout the year. Simon Carroll is our excellent Hash Words who keeps the information flowing and everyone on track. Simon has also ‘double hatted’ as Hash Haberdash. Jim Burke is our Beer Meister, an onerous but essential role in which he excels. Dave Nicholls has done a fine job in his role of Hash Trash, keeping us supplied with tons of coloured flour over the year, without which we would have no trails to run. The purse strings are held in the very experienced hands of Dave Norris as Hash Cash. Other roles include Laurie Mitchell and Mark Foley as joint-Hash Ash, who did a great job of keeping us warm through the cold winter months and Ray Turford on nuts and sport every week. Our photo gallery is kept supplied by the efforts of various Hash Flashers, in particular, Simon, Mark Foley and Den ‘Selfie’ Mercer. I have already mentioned our Runmaster, Tony Flower, who often reminds me that the Hash could run without an On Pres, but not without the work of the Joint Masters….he is probably right! My sincere thanks to them all and very best wishes to Tony, who succeeds me and will be inaugurated as the 57th On Pres over the coronation weekend.
In my first missive I stated that my main aim in office would be to preserve our founding principles of camaraderie, running (or walking) and beer (other beverages are available). I hope that I have managed to do this and that the Epi Hash will continue to honour these simple but laudable aims in the years to come.
“Though the season gets longer, as seasons do,
And the rocks and the bondu leave me black and blue,
Will I stop while there’s Trash and an On On or two?
Not bloody likely!
Marshall Hughes
56th On Pres
Episkopi Hash House Harriers