August 9, 2008 4:43 PM
Detained? Just Keep on Running.
If you're wondering whether or not there are people crazy enough to
brave the smog and threats of police detention to run outside in
Beijing, the answer is yes, yes there are. You can read about a group of them who've experienced both here.The guy above is one of the general managers of the group, Dave Bjerke. Behind him is a man who is neither police nor a member of the army. Actually, he's officially "police support," or roughly the equivalent of a neighborhood-appointed watchman. There are thousands of unofficial police around this city, and many of them are wearing camouflage. Not sure why.
One more thought about the group, known as the Hash House Harriers:
I did attempt the run with them last Sunday, with temperatures near 100 degrees and the humidity off the charts. It was officially a 12 kilometer (7.45 mile) run; I'd say that the majority of the group, myself included, actually ran about three kilometers. Maybe it was two kilometers. The point is: nobody's counting. By the time we'd reached the first beer stop -- yes, it's a running group that stops for beer -- everyone was just about dead.
As Bjerke mentions in the aforelinked story, the group did run past a man in an algae-infested lake. This man, specifically.
The run really was fun, even though police stopped by on repeated occasions to ask exactly what was going on, and even though about 95% of what was said was entirely unprintable, and even though a few members of the group nearly died of heat stroke.
I should note: Denver's got a few Hashing groups, too. If you've ever wished that running on a treadmill was more like a Broncos-Raiders tailgate party, this might be the group for you. Check them out here.
Join the discussion