The Samford Hash House Harriers, also known as Samford Hash, is a casual family sports club that has been meeting in the Samford area of Australia since 1991. They gather every Sunday for a run or walk, followed by drinks and a meal. The group is open to newcomers and visitors, and they also enjoy various other activities throughout the year.
The club's flagship activity is their Sunday run/walk, which takes place regardless of the weather conditions. They meet at 5 pm in summer and 4 pm in winter at various locations in and around Samford. The Samford Hash blog provides up-to-date information on venues and contacts.
In addition to the Sunday run/walk, the club also organises a midweek run/walk on Wednesdays. They meet at 5:30 pm at John Scott Park in Samford Village, and afterwards, they enjoy refreshments and a meal.
Samford Hash also holds special event runs/walks throughout the year, including the Australia Day Ocker run, Easter Egg run, Halloween run, and Father's Day run. They also organise longer walks and climbs, such as the 4-day Sunshine Coast hinterland hike and the Mount Beerwah, Mount Tibrogargan, and Mount Warning traverses.
The club has a tradition of organising Hash weekends away, with recent venues including Melbourne, Toogoom, Bunya Mountains, and Cunningham's Gap. They also hold parties and comedy nights, with the Hash Christmas event being a particularly popular gathering.
The contact information for Samford Hash is provided on their contacts page, with email being the preferred method of communication. The Grandmaster of the club is Derrick “Payback” Mullins, and he can be reached at (07) 3298 5194. David “Haughty” Roberts serves as the RA, and Trudy “Fruti” Downie is the On Sec.
Samford Hash has a rich history, dating back to its founding in 1991. The group was started by Peter "Fu” Goff, Julie “Keg Guard” Goff, Steve “Superbrat” Tennant, Janet “Rattletrap” Tennant, their daughter Leanne, Derek "Roddy” and Jenny McDowall, and Rick “Uriah” Heap and family. Bruce “Charcoal” and Barbara “Strine” Downie, along with their son Evan “B&W,” joined the group a few months later.
The club was originally named “Samford Hash Haus Harriers,” which reflected the New Guinea origins of many of the founding members. The group's early record-keeping was informal, and they had to backtrack to determine when their 100th run was due. From the beginning, Samford Hash has been a family-friendly group, welcoming children and including activities that cater to runners, walkers, and participants of all abilities.