4.16 Hops on The Lady in Red (RDR)

Episode Summary

Hops brings a close-to-firsthand account of the Lady in Red and the birth of the Red Dress Run. A Washington, D.C., hasher since 1996 and longtime keeper of online hash history, he personally knew the woman whose unexpected appearance in a red dress at a San Diego trail became one of hashing’s most repeated origin stories.

The episode separates documented memory from legend, follows the tradition’s spread into major charity runs, and considers what the Lady in Red herself valued about it. Hops describes her personality, meticulous habit of recording the people she met, participation in later runs, and commitment to fundraising. The result is both a historical correction and a tribute to the person behind a worldwide hash symbol.