Mersey running club with a difference includes a puzzle and a pub in each session

A Mersey running club with a difference follows a puzzle trail in each session – and starts and finishes at a pub!

The Mersey Thirstdays Hash House Harriers doesn’t just bring runners together to pound the pavements, it makes every meeting more fun and a bit of a brain teaser.

Instead of following a straightforward route, those taking part in the twice-monthly sessions have to work out which direction to go at points along the way. 

If they manage to stick to the chalked trail, runners will get back to their starting point in around two hours – if not, there could be a few dead ends and minor U-turns, but there’s still a drink and a bite to eat waiting at the end.

Long-standing member Ian Jack explains:

“Every week someone takes the role of ‘hare’ and sets a different trail, choosing anywhere within easy reach of a Merseyrail station so people can get there by public transport. 

“The trail is usually marked out in flour if it’s cross country and chalk if you’re running on streets, and every so often there’s a ‘check’ where the trail can divide into any number of directions and you’ve got to find the right one to follow.

“Everyone spreads out and checks different options and eventually someone will find the chalk marks which indicate you’re on the right track.

“The idea is to get people pleasantly confused, and it’s also a way of making sure everyone stays together because the people at the front are first to find the dividing point and by then hopefully everyone’s caught up so the whole group goes in the same direction. No one gets lost because the runner who sets the trail follows up at the back.

“There can be quite a few checks on the route, probably about 10, so if you go for about 100 or 200 yards and don’t find any chalk marks, you guess it’s not in that direction and go back to try another way.

“You’ve got to use a bit of ingenuity because the hare often try to find little alleyways, cut-throughs or paths across a field you wouldn’t normally notice, places which will puzzle you, so even if you’re familiar with an area it can be disorienting.”

For each run the hare sets a fresh trail for others to follow, either marking it out the day before or in the afternoon ahead of the run starting around 7pm.

The route covers a circuit of around four miles, finishing at about 9pm at the same pub where it set off.

“We’re not doing this for improved times, it’s not a way of training, it’s just a fun evening,” Ian adds.

Mersey Thirstdays, which is one of a network Hash House Harriers worldwide, was first set up in 2006 by members of Liverpool University. It now attracts runners from all walks of life, there’s no membership needed and anyone can join in.

“It’s not just for people associated with the university, it’s inclusive, we welcome all ages and all backgrounds, and we often have people passing through from other countries, on holiday or for work, joining for one or two runs.”

The Harriers’ website tells people where the next run will be, the meeting pub and the closest train station, and they also have a What’s App group for people coming along regularly.

“They are fun runs and we have a laugh on the way around,” adds Ian. “We pride ourselves on never being beaten by the weather so we run all year, and we just enjoy the camaraderie and the challenge.”

Find out more information about Mersey Thirstdays here.

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