5.24 Hangs Loose

Episode Summary

Hangs Loose quit smoking and began running in Yuba City, California, in 1979. After cheap shoes ruined his first 10K, a specialty shop connected him with the Running River Rats Hash House Harriers. Better footwear and natural speed soon made him a front-runner and local race winner, including a beer run in which he and a friend passed the pace car.

He became GM, beer master, social director, and organizer for a club built around live trails, river rafting, races, and low-cost weekends. Later moves took him to Santa Cruz and other California hashes, while travel expanded through InterAmericas and beyond. He discusses the transition from racing to walking, lost memorabilia, awards, strong runners within hashing, and the origin of his name—earned while relieving himself behind a tree—across nearly five decades of participation.