Those who ran the Bintan Triathlon 10km leg a few weeks ago were heard bemoaning the "undulating" nature of the course and wondering where on earth in Singapore they could train amidst similar terrain. Many pondered MacRitchie might be the answer, others felt the only way to get a true training ground for both the run and bike legs was to return to Bintan ahead of time, to train on the actual course. But there is another option… for those who enjoy running - or want to get into running - and are bored of their usual route, you could always become a Hash House Harrier! Click here for a full list of Singapore chapters - 10 in all.

Hashing actually started in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, when a group of expats and British soldiers met for a run on Monday evenings to burn off the "excesses of the weekend". Although hashing ground to a halt after World War II, it started up again in Singapore in 1962 and has spread right through the world since - there are now 2,000 chapters throughout the globe. Each week a member has to map out a course of 6km to 10km, followed by beers at the finish line and dinner thereafter. A great way to meet new friends and stay fit, the original constitution of the Club is recorded as:

• To promote physcial fitness among members
• To get rid of weekend hangovers
• To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
• To persuade the older members they are not as old as they feel

The original Hash House Harriers Singapore (men-only chapter) has been running every Monday since 1962, while the  Lion City Hash House Harriers (men/Harriers and women/Harriettes) have been running every Friday at 6pm since November 26,1982.  And there’s not one bit of this island home they haven’t covered on foot! Every year there’s also an Interhash, where chapters from all over the world meet up. The next one is close by, in Borneo from July 2 to 4. Click here for more info.

Check the websites for details of the next Singapore Hash, bike Hash or Horrors (kids) Hash. There’s something happening every day of the week, so get moving…