Frequently Asked Questions
1. I don’t have a dog, may I come on the run?
2. Do the dogs get along?
3. How do I sign up to be a hare?
4. How do I set a dash run?
5. How to run in a hash/dash?
6. You mentioned that the club is open to adults age 18+, why do I see teenagers on the run?
Answers:
1. I don't have a dog, may I come on the run?
All adults (age 18+) are welcome to run with the DASH regardless of if they have a dog.
2. Do the dogs get along?
Yes, quite well indeed. The dogs generally get along as the DASH usually meet in "neutral" territory. It is pretty amazing to see the variety of breeds come together, eg. from a tiny poodle to a large ridgeback, all set of in a pack. There might be an occasional growl and snap among one or two dogs, but usually this is kept well under control.
3. How do I sign up to be a hare?
Please contact our religious advisor Skidmark for more information on hareing and to sign up to hare. If you have little or no experience hareing, we will be glad to pair you up with a more experienced hare. Also, you have the option of hareing with a friend.
4. How do I set a dash run?
First pick a location
As the hare, you are responsible for picking a location to start (OUT trail) and end (IN trail), planning a water stop if you wish to have one, and laying the trail in between. As much as possible, ensure that the location is "dog friendly" e.g. away from road traffic, no broken glass on ground, avoid muddy/tainted water, etc. Ensure there is sufficient parking for 25 – 30 cars and the circle location is within easy reach from parking area. Avoid streets and residential areas if possible. You need to notify the On-Sec at least 3 weeks before, if not earlier, of the location.
The Objective
The objective is to provide 30-50 humans with 30-40 dogs about 50 minutes of interesting running over varied terrain, with the entire pack finishing within 10 minutes of each other. You want to lay a trail that will keep the pack together, slowing down the front running bastards (FRBs) and allowing the slower runners an opportunity to catch up. A typical Dash is around 50 minutes, as opposed to a normal hash at one hour.
Before Run Day
Plan and recce the run in advance. Number of recces is up to you, depending on how well you know the area you've picked. Check whether permission needs to be seeked for use of any part of the trail (ie parks, gardens, kampongs etc)
Some Dos and Don'ts
* Don't lay a trail across a busy road. If road crossing is essential, make use of bridges or traffic lights. Mark trail clearly and mark "Road Ahead" in chalk well in advance.
* Don't lay a trail across a golf course
* Don't lay a trail ACROSS graves. Give due respect.
* Do use jungle areas (grealy encouraged), but no swimming in reservoirs. You run the risk of a $1000 fine per person…and then there are the crocs…
* Do identify someone to 'sweep' the trail for slower runners and to break the checks if you as the hare do not intend to do it yourself.
Run Day - Laying The Trail
* Mark your run site with the Hash signs.
* Mark the beginning of the OUT trail clearly.
* Give yourself enough time to finish laying the trail so that you are back at the run site before the start of the run.
* Where possible, use flour and chalk to lay the trail, keeping paper to a minimum.
* Keep your IN and OUT trails well separated to avoid eager over-achievers stumbling on your HOME trails while checking the OUT trail. If the IN and OUT trails are close to each other, lay the HOME trail half-an-hour AFTER the start of the run to ensure the pack is not nearby. Ideally, your run will describe a circle.
* An abundance of loops and checks will keep everyone together!
Checks
The purpose of checks is to allow the back of the pack to catch up with the front-runners. Anticipate at least 4-6 checks per run.
There are 3 kinds of CHECKS:
1. T-CHECK (sometimes called BACK CHECK). A T-CHECK means go back to the last area of trail and check for another intersection.
2. CIRCLE CHECK means the trail would continue further on, in any direction.
3. HOLD CHECK means stop at this point and wait for the whloe pack to regroup before resuming the run. This check is sometimes placed at a water stop.
Marking Checks - Indicate a CHECK clearly with a large T (for T-CHECK), or a circle (for CIRCLE CHECK), or a circle with an H in it for HOLD CHECK. Mark it in flour, chalk and/or paper. The trail should re-start no more then 100 meters from the CHECK.
False trails - FALSE TRAILS end without a burst, the trail just fades out. A FALSE TRAIL means to go back to the last check and start looking again. FALSE TRAILS should not exceed 100 meters.
Loops - A more experienced hare would sometimes lay loops for FRBs to run around while sending the slower runners directly across to catch up. This further helps the pack to keep together.
No CHECKS should be laid within a half-mile of the finish.
* Distance. A final walk around the route averages about 1 3/4 hours for a 4-5 mile/6Km /50 minute run.
* Before the pack starts off, inform the GM of what you've laid the run with ie flour/chalk/paper, if there are road crossings or any thing else that might pose to be hazardous eg snake sitings, treacherous ground etc.
Circle Snacks
It is also the hare's responsibilty to provide the snacks for the day. Choose from anything you wish, homemade or bought, fingerfood eg pastries, sandwiches, pizza, noodles, chips etc. You will be reimbursed up to S$50. If you need help with this, just approach anyone from the committee.
5. How to run in a hash/dash?
It is every Hasher's responsibility to call out the status of the trail.
* "ON ON/ON WooF!" - When on trail, shout "ON ON" every 100 meters or so. There should be a chain of "ON ONs" being called all the way down the line of runners.
* Do not call "ON ON" unless you are on trail. Do not call "ON ON" when shortcutting.
* Call out "CHECK" at a check. You might even want to specify if it is a "T-CHECK" or a "CIRCLE CHECK". Fan out and look for the new trail and call. If you hear "Are you?" shout "CHECKING" in reply until you find the trail. The appropriate response when the trail is found would then be "ON ON".
* Note: Only 'dogs are allowed to break' the checks, so if you don't have a dog with you, call "NEED A DOG!"
* Close Checks - If you locate the direction of the T or circle check, CLOSE or BREAK the CHECK with a directional marker of paper/flour/chalk. The sweeping Hare should aslo facilitate this.
* Note: Keys (collected by the Hares at beginning of the run) are the only means of checking that everyone returned safely. All Hashers are responsible for any passengers in their car. If you arrive by taxi, be sure someone knows you are running. Do not turn back from a run without informing someone, you may be thought lost, and we'll have to set the bloodhounds out on you.
6. You mentioned that the club is open to adults age 18+, why do I see teenagers on the run?
The SK9H3 is an adult hashing club. However, we do make a special exemption for members only to come on the run with their teenage children (strictly 13+). They have to be signed in by their parents as guests. Under no circumstances are children age 12 and below be allowed on the run, or stay at the runsite during or after the run, for safety purposes.
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