Balikpapan (ANTARA) – Members of the Balikpapan Hash House Harriers (BH3) long-distance running club are celebrating the club’s 47th anniversary by inviting many long-distance runners from Samarinda, Bali and Balikpapan themselves.

“It is an expression of our happiness and gratitude, that this club continues to exist to maintain and improve the quality of our health and our friendship,” said Grand Master (GM) BH3 Dondit Supeno on Monday. .

The hashers celebrated by running together for 15 km from the Paladium Grand City store, following the trail to km 8, then turning east towards Balikpapan Regency, turning right again to their return to Grand City.

Balikpaan Hash House Harriers was founded on July 14, 1975, by Peter Garbenis and a number of expatriates from Unocal, an oil and gas contractor who maintains an office in Pasir Ridge.

Garbenis, who previously lived in Jakarta and raced with Batavia Hash House Harriers, brought a similar cross-country racing concept to Balikpapan by creating the BH3.

Chopped distance running means running following a pinch of paper as a marker or track.

The path is made by a “hare” or a guide the route follows the existing landscape, starting from an empty field or a deserted roadside, then climbing into the hills, through small forests and bushes , go up and down following the contours to return to the starting point.

Each week, the members take turns to be a “hare” so that everyone can discover and get to know the region.

Also due to its history, a hash club is a local club with members of international individuals or of various nationalities.

The first hash club was formed in the 1930s in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was founded by British expatriate accountants who were working overtime due to the economic recession (Malaysian era) at the time.

Until 1980, ethnic Indonesians still made up a minority of the approximately 200 runners who ran every Monday afternoon.

After 36 years, members are still of various nationalities working in Balikpapan, mainly due to oil and gas activities.

At BH3 there are now expats from the Netherlands, Canada, Poland, USA, Brazil, England, France and even Hungary.

“The hash club is like that, even though the name is local, but the members are still from different nations of the world, so the term is international local club,” said BH3 senior hasher Johny Soselisa.