Off the beaten path Runners brave the elements in Edison hashing event BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer SCOTT PILLING staff Attorney Kenneth Vercammen leads participants in the eighth annual Freezing Cold Hash Run, an off-road trek through Edison last weekend. EDISON — Outside it’s cold — the kind that numbs the toes and settles so far into the bones that only a hot shower can exorcise it. Inside, it’s warm. The Green Derby, a bar in Edison, is the end point for Saturday’s run and it begins empty, the only sound being commentators from ESPN chattering on the television. As runners finish the trail and go through the door, other sounds introduce themselves: clinking glasses, jovial laughter and classic rock on the sound system. This was the day of the eighth annual Freezing Cold Hash Run, held in Edison. A hash run differs from a regular run in a few small details. One is that hash runs are mostly off road or, at least, off the beaten path. In Edison, the annual hash run goes through woods and marshes along the Raritan River. The trail is not as straightforward as other runs — hash runs have a trail, marked off in flour or chalk, but this trail often splits and can contain several false trails as well. A hash run traditionally ends with cold beer. When hashing was first developed in Kuala Lumpur by British officers, the beer would be in a tub at the end of the trail, but now they usually have their end point at a bar or pub. Finally, hash runs are noncompetitive, with the focus of the event not winning a race, but traveling along an interesting trail with a group of friendly people. It is this informal nature that attracts many to hash runs. “You have a little exercise and have a little beer, and in the end, it’s all in good fun,” said Summit resident Dougie Style. Hashing, an activity with an international following located mostly in former British colonies, faded in popularity shortly after the end of World War II, but since the ’70s has re-emerged more popular than ever before. There are now thousands of hashing clubs, complete with newsletters, conventions and directories. It is this international aspect, a solidarity among runners, that attracts many to it. “I like the fact that it’s international, that I can travel anywhere in the world, anywhere in the country and there’s always a hash group, and because of this camaraderie of hashing, you can go to a foreign land and be welcome as if you lived there for many years,” said Ira Wright, a Neptune resident who has been participating in hash runs for more than 23 years. “There’s no stress. You find your way and everyone is having a good time and helping out,” said Bill Pamayote, an East Brunswick resident who had never done a hash run before. Two visitors from Boston, who became fans of hashing by running into a group at a bar, noted the similarities and differences between the hash clubs they have visited in the past. “The thing is, every hash club is a little bit different, but all the traditions are very similar,” said Tamar Smolowitz. “We all mark the trail with flour, the same everywhere. We all, usually, at the end of every hash, circle up and sing funny songs, and if anyone did anything wrong at a trail — like they fell down or they ran too fast or they were wearing competitive running clothes — all those people have to down a beer. I guess they don’t do that here, but I know the Summit Hash does. It’s similar, same songs and everything no matter where you go.” In the case of this hash run, organized by South Brunswick’s Ken Vercammen, some creativity was necessary to keep people off the roads and on the rougher trails, especially in the Edison area. To this end, the trail utilized S-shaped formations in order to maximize the amount of time spent in the woods and off the roads. “Considering the environment we’re in, you know, Edison and Woodbridge, I wasn’t expecting to see any woods at all and it was amazing,” said Wright. While serious runners have joined hash clubs in the past, participants don’t need to be one in order to join. Saying that you’re not a running kind of person when asked to join is inevitably met with a chorus of smiles and “neither am I’s.” “We make fun out of nothing. We make fun out of any given day and place and everyone comes out a winner,” said Mark Griggs.