Worthy Winchester Hash House Harriers

What is a suitable pub?
One that is local to our group, is Hash friendly, has plenty of parking space and a suitable area for the circle (indoors in winter and for summer a beer garden).
It is compulsory (And courteous and sensible!) to approach the pub landlord in advance and ask his/her permission to run from there, and thus fill his/her car park up with hashers cars. Don't forget to mention that we will double park to save room if we can!

Tell the Hare Raiser or GM well in advance the name of the Pub and the Village and if necessary directions to get there so that the details can be put on the Run List.

It is usually best to have at least two hares, as it's more fun, easier and much quicker to set the hash. It also allows one hare to sweep up during the hash and one to be near the front. Setting a hash by yourself should only really be done by experienced hares but until we build up numbers ..... . Please try and get together with other hashers to set hashes, encouraging hashers who have not yet set hashes to help you.

It is best if the hash is planned and recce'd before setting, especially if you do not know the area. This means running/walking round the intended route checking to make sure it is possible and the paths are accessible preferably not on the same day as the hash. Hashes can be set on the day of the hash so long a you know the area well. The out trail and the in trail should be kept separate.

It is usually a good idea for the Hares to have laid the trail the previous day.
Only public footpaths and highways are used for a trail. NEVER private land unless permission has been granted by the landowner.
The main trail is marked with blobs of white floor.
Make sure that you have plenty of flour with you, (I use at least five bags on a hash)
Hashes should be well marked especially the short/walking one as the knitting circle has a tendency to get lost!!
Make sure if possible that the long and the short trails interlink so that hashers have the option to change.
The Hare's aim should be to lay a trail that keeps the pack together. Those hashers that are fit or youthful (known as Front Running Bastards) will obviously leg-it off much faster than the sedate pace of the elderly, infirm or just plain lazy hashers who will dawdle along.
Therefore decoy or false trails (falsies) are used that are found by the FRBs, who then have to retrace their steps to find the true trail, allowing the laggards to catch up.
Hashes should be between an hour and an hour and a half for both the short and long hashers.
Allow at least two hours to set a hash.
Don't forget to estimate how long it will take the pack to find the correct trail at checks and include this in the 'hour'.

Completion of the trail is indicated by the 'On Inn' sign (Within half a mile of the pub will do)