Repeating its accomplishment in 1988, the International Hash House Harriers (Interhash) 2016 was successfully held on the enchanting island of Bali from 19th to 22nd May 2016. Crossing 5 cities and regencies on the island, namely Badung, Denpasar, Tabanan, Gianyar, and Bangli, the one of a kind cross-country running event managed to draw participation of no less than 6,000 international runners from 75 countries.
As part of the Bali Interhash 2016, the Red Dress Run was also staged in Sanur along with the Ball Breaker Run at the Petang Field in Badung Regency.
Bali Interhash 2016 covered 3 categories of routes which passed at least 10 fascinating tourist attractions sites. The routes comprised: Short routes of 5 km, Medium routes of 7 to 10 km, and one super long route of 25km. Here are the complete routes of the race:
Serangan Island, Denpasar: 5.9 km Short Distance, 7.8 km medium Distance, and 9.8 km long Distance
Lapangan Tembak, Sembung, Tabanan: 5.4km Short Distance, 8.13km Medium Distance, and 9.7 Long Distance
Margarana, Tabanan: 5.7km Short Distance, 7.7km Medium Distance, and 9.7 Long Distance
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), Gianyar: 5.4km Short Distance, 8.12km Medium Distance, and 9.7 Long Distance
Sangeh, North Badung: 5km Short Distance, 7.1km Medium Distance, 9km Long Distance
Tapak Siring, Gianyar: 4.5km Short Distance, 8.73 Medium Distance, and 9.9km Long Distance
Plaga, North Badung: 4.5km Short Distance, 8.35km Medium Distance, 9km Long Distance
Baturiti, Tabanan: 4.5km Short Distance, 8.17km Medium Distance, and 9.68km Long Distance
Goa Lawah, Klungkung: 5.1km Short Distance, 8.20 Medium Route, and 9.4km Long Distance
Pura Kehen, Bangli: 5.5km Short Distance, 7.6km Medium Distance, and 9.3 Long Distance
Participants of this unique running event were free to choose whichever locations and route they desired. To accommodate them, more than a hundred buses were used to transport runners from the Grand Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur Beach from 10.00 Central Indonesia Time, before starting the cross-country run at 13.00 hrs.
Interhash is a biennial event that has been held since 1978. Having hosted Interhash in Jakarta (1982), Bali (1988), Magelang (2012), this is the fourth time for Indonesia to host this prestigious event again. The event moves from one country to another with participants from hash clubs all over the world. This bewitching resort island was again chosen as host of this year’s Interhash after winning the bid against South Korea, Fiji, and Hainan (China).
Recognized as a mixture of athleticism and sociability, hashing is an exhilaratingly fun combination of running, orienteering, and partying, where bands of runners, called harriers and harriettes, chase hares on eight-to-ten kilometer or longer trails through town, country, and open fields, all in search of exercise, camaraderie, and good time. Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938, when a group of British colonial officials and expatriates founded a running club called the Hash House Harriers. They named the group after their meeting place, the Selangor Club, nicknamed the "Hash House." Hash House Harrier runs were patterned after the traditional British paper chase. A "hare" was given a head start to blaze a trail, marking his devious route with shreds of paper, all the while pursued by a shouting pack of "harriers." Only the hare knew where he was going while the harriers followed its clues to stay on its trail. The excitement of chasing the hare and solving the clues, reaching the end is its own reward.
