Hong Kong ‘Santa Hash’ event raises money for Operation Santa Claus
- Dressed up as Father Christmas, about 150 runners take three different routes around Kennedy Town
About 150 runners from 14 athletic groups donned Father Christmas outfits for the “Santa Hash” race last Sunday.
The run is an annual affair to support Operation Santa Claus, the charity campaign jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK.
Participants gathered at Belcher Bay Park in Kennedy Town ahead of the race, which took them past some of the district’s busiest streets.
They chose one of three routes around the neighbourhood, with trail lengths of 2½km, 4½km and 6½km. Most contestants, including some parents who had brought children along, finished the run within an hour.
“Hashing” is derived from an old British school game – called Hare and Hounds – in which two groups of runners race through the countryside, following a paper or chalk trail.
Mark Hope, who organised Santa Hash for the 11th year in a row, said the event had given various local hash groups an opportunity to help the needy.