The PH3 goes from strength to strength; 101 attendees today and another highly successful event enjoyed by all.
Having been a runner myself for 55 years, I was subsequently considering why that should be case. After all, when I started, running outside proper athletics clubs or tracks was seen to be quite weird at best... And to an outsider the Hash formula in writing looks rather odd too - following pieces of paper for many kms on a hot day with many strange rituals before and after the event. So here are my conclusions.
HISTORY - Although hashing had been around much longer, the PH3 start up in the early 1980's coincided with the so called running boom, when interest in participation greatly increased and shoes and kit dramatically improved. So a lot of the weirdness (but not all...) disappeared - numbers picked up and have stayed strong since.
CONSISTENCY - Like clockwork, PH3 has taken place every Monday since 1984. That has taken an extraordinary amount of planning and preparation, and it continues to occupy a lot of time for a group of very dedicated guys and ladies. It also means people are more likely to turn up - like Parkrun in England if you give it a miss it doesn't matter too much because you know it will be there at the same time, the following week and every week.
DISCIPLINE - As numbers have increased, and particularly when they exceed 100, much more work is needed to ensure the event stays on schedule and there is adequate crowd control. So we all appreciate the efforts in particular of GM, SPERM POLLUTER, SCAR W/2T'S and BEER POLICE in this respect - their job is more difficult than it looks.
EVOLUTION - Based on my own running club experience, and like any organisation, PH3 participants and mismanagement have evolved and will evolve over time. That is always for the better to get the right blend of fresh ideas and experience, even if there may be some short term turbulence. The most important thing for everyone involved is to maintain the PH3 success by continuing to turn up on the day, and by inviting some younger people to get that average age down....
See you next month
On-On! Home Brew