Brooklyn Hash House Harriers
Run #400th Anniversary Run/10th Polar bear Run
(Also NYCH3 #1249)
Hare: Fluffy
On In: Peggy O’Neill’s, Coney Island
Scribe: The Saint – Part I
Some More Original Brooklyn History
Brooklyn was founded in 1646 (authorized by the Dutch West India Company and became the first municipality in what is now New York State) and the BH3 followed a few years later in 1993. The borough was populated initially by beer making (and drinking) Dutchmen (and women) followed shortly thereafter by, to paraphrase Hedley Lamar, pugs, thugs, horn swagglers, cow rapers, sodomists, bikers, hikers, pikers felons, chanticleers, limeys, hoods, hooks, hooters, and lastly Methodists. Their offspring multiplied and attracted those who settle and thrive there today.
The BH3 was organized a few years later by the famous Keith Kanaga and Charles Dugan in 1993.
What’s So Special About 400?
Well have you been around for 400 of anything? Well what’s in a number — some examples:
1. 400 metres freestyle (a race I swim)
2. 400 Blows (the movie, of course)
3. Italy is first invaded by Alaric
4. The Vandals start their westward trek from Dacia and Hungary.
5. An HTTP status code for a bad request (no doubt you’ all have seen a few of these)
6. 400 is a self number in base 10, since there is no integer that added to the sum of its own digits results in 400. On the other hand, 400 is divisible by the sum of its own base 10 digits, making it a Harshad number.
7. Pepsi 400 (a car race for those outside the NYC bubble)
8. Forbes 400 (probably does not include any hashers)
Why Brooklyn?
Perhaps a few of you noted that my submission was not in the wonderful Compendium created by Wet Connection. Quite honestly I did not get it done, so I have taken the liberty to add it to this scrawl.
I first started running the Brooklyn Hash in 2002 because it was close to where I worked – and lived at the time – at the tip of the Big Island! I soon leaned that not only is the beer better, most hashers were fairly experienced – and in some cases crusty old sorts – and that there was new, raw territory to conquer. Like running in areas where I had no earthly idea where I was. The Promenade offered another look at this great city as did Prospect Park and all the areas where I’d ask someone to name, Park Slope: Fort Greene; Carroll Gardens; Billyburg; Sunset Park; Flatbush (we have run past the old Ebbet’s Field site); Bay Ridge; Redhook; Bedford! Who has ever heard of these places? What a great pace to run and better — to drink the local brews which seem to last longer amongst a good group of Hasher colleagues.
A Few Pics
<pics are here>
Coming in Part II – The Trail/The Party On Out: The Saint