Boston - July 26, 2006

What a Rush

Boston Hash House Harriers

Jog? In this weather? Just the thought of a three-mile slog in late July makes us want to put our feet up and hoist a cold one.

Which is precisely the brilliance behind Boston Hash House Harriers. The raunchy runners’ group gathers once a week for a three- to six-mile run, but they’ve the good sense to stop for beer checks along the way. That’s right: Tall frosty brews await at pit stops and the finish line. (Their slogan: a drinking club with a running problem.)

You say you’ve got moral issues with subjecting your liver to such tomfoolery? (Longer runs do equal more beer checks.) The group won’t give you a hard time if you opt out of the brewski. But they will give you a ridiculously perverted code name. (Ours is unprintable.)

To further up the ante, trails change each week and are marked scavenger hunt-style with chalk, so part of the fun is finding your way.

Of course, you could always cheat and finish the race in your car.

But no one likes to be driven to drink.

For more information, go to bostonhash.com.