Red Dress Run

One of my favorite things about living in Belize is our very active group of Hashers.  For anyone who doesn't know what the Hash is, the full name is the Hash House Harriers.  We bill ourselves as a "drinking club with a running problem."  The group started as a bunch of British soldiers in Malaysia who would go running after long weekends spent drinking.  Rather than any set trail, each event has a new trail set by the hare.  Those who find the end are rewarded with beer.

The Belize Hash has been fairly active for around 3 years or so.  Most of my friends are hashers and it provides us with a regular excuse to get together on the weekend and participate in a bit of exercise and day drinking.  Many of the traditions of Hash are quite silly, including Hash names, songs, charges, and ridiculous rules (such as if you wear new shoes to a hash, you must drink a beer out of the shoe).  But the more people get into the ridiculous traditions, the more fun everyone has..

One of the more ridiculous traditions is the red dress run.  Hash lore states that a hasher invited a girl to a hash in San Diego (or San Francisco) without explaining what the hash was.  She arrived in a red dress and high heels.  Despite the ridicule received from the hashers, she went on the run anyway.  The following week, several hashers showed up in red dresses and a tradition was born.  Each year, most hashes will host a Red Dress Run for charity.  Last year's Red Dress Run was one of my favorite events of the year, with over 80 people in attendance and at least 50 wearing red dresses.

Due to a variety of reasons, this year's event wasn't nearly as well attended and there were a lot fewer dresses.  (I blame this on the fact that the flyer this year said that dresses were not required).  It's too bad that more people didn't show up, because the event was done much better this year.  We had a DJ, tons of food for the cookout and the location was great (although tables and chairs would have been nice).

Tilapia Taco and Visa Molestor (yes, I have an awful hash name)

The Pasquale's chef with her two best customers, Vespam and Visa Molestor.

All the dresses for the Red Dress Run