Venue: Taman Bukit Mantin - just on the far edge of Mantin
Hare: Chris Bell
Co-Hares: Jerry French
Scribe: Geoff Robb
Comic: Sen Soon Mun
T’was a brillig evening as the pack gathered at Mantin for Run # 1759. The runsite was the top of a hill and for once a gentle cooling breeze played around the assembled crowd belying the ordeal that was to follow.
Substitute GM Bob assembled us all promptly at 4:30, and to our surprising the hare was present, resplendent in purple waistcoat and looking fresh, rested and relaxed. He told us of the easy run that awaited our pleasure – a split run which would be a mere stroll for the walkers and a gentle enervating run of only slightly longer than an hour for the more energetic members.
As the pack started off, it was obvious that a few subtle details had been missed out. The paper was long shreds rather than the normal running man sheets. The promised split was not visible to most runners.
The hare has chosen a straight run out and rigorously followed the straight line, even though it went up hills and then down hills and straight through rattan bushes and other natural hazards. Struggling through thick grass up vertical inclines to merely come down the other side sapped the energy of all but the fittest, with the only recompense being some spectacular views of the countryside, and a knowledge that once again you had triumphed over the jungle and made it back to the runsite alive and relatively unhurt.
A left handed check by a power pylon took the pack on a long circle that ended back up by the same pylon an hour later, followed by a long downhill slope back to home.
As the runners struggled home after 2-and-a-half grueling hours nursing cuts and bruises, it was difficult to reconcile the actuality with the 1 hour 15 minute jaunt in the woods promised at the start.
A lively circle witnessed by an unusually large audience of flying ants saw the usual array of trumped up charges including the co-hare Jerry French for driving his car running into the back of a parked lorry.
The substitute GM called for volunteers to contest for the quickest down-down to uphold the club’s honour at the next Interhash.
The catch was that the down-down had to be consumed without the use of arms or hands, with the glasses being initially held between the knees of hand-picked virgins. Father Abraham triumphed in the first round of this unusual spectator sport, but I am sure there will be plenty of future opportunities for the pack to hone their skills in future weeks.
A sumptuous multi-course dinner followed at a local restaurant.
At the second circle, 6 guests were welcomed to the run in the traditional fashion. The hare was charged and charged again:- for fibbing about the length of the course, for the use of non-standard paper, for failing to count the right hand turns between the run-site and the on-on, for camouflaging the short run split, for needlessly hurrying the run-site circle so we could sit at the restaurant for half an hour drooling over the scents emanating from the kitchen before being served, etc. etc. for a grand total of 8 misdemeanors.
Despite all the grumbles, the run was voted a tee shirt run, and to the great disgust of the pack the hare stripped off to slip on a “I set a good run” tee-shirt.