First of all, it is time to adjust your expectations, there is no such thing as an amazing hare and those shameless hashers will always find something to pull you into the circle for. Now that aside it is always great fun to set a trail although, for the completely uninitiated, it can perhaps be a little �daunting�. If you are therefore setting one for the first time, you may find it easier to see if you can get a co-hare who has done one before, to assist.

Preparing for the trail

1. Think about the route in advance.
2. Focus on a certain area of town/country.
3. Fix your start point and your finish point (remember that the finish should be suitable for an ON IN circle to be held).
4. Do an initial recce and, unless you know the area well, also plot the route on a map.
5. Keep the route simple (and remember that what may look like a long distance on a map can often be covered very quickly by a pack of determined runners). Don�t try to �double back� or criss-cross the trail as it will likely confuse runners and walkers alike and mean a punishment for you at the ON IN circle.
6. Try to aim for around an hour�s trail for both the runners (approx 9-10 kms) and the wan/lkers (approx 4-5 kms).
7. As a very general indication, the runner�s trail will typically take around 2 � times as long to set it as it will for the runners to run it.
8. Be aware of gates that, although open when you set the trail, may be closed later when the pack follow it
9. Don�t be put off by considering a new area for a trail. Variety is the spice of every hasher�s life! An interesting hash in a new area is always appreciated

Setting the trail

1. Always use plenty of chalk/flour to mark the trail (it can never be over-marked).
2. The trail should always be easy to follow. Do not hide the markings. Ideally, every hasher should find one mark and then be able to look ahead and see the next, without having to search for it.
3. Try to use one colour throughout and make it contrasting � it is no good using pale yellow chalk on sandstone.
4. Also, consider the weather conditions. It is not much use using flour on a wet and windy day!
5. Be consistent and logical � try to always put your markings in the same general place. For example, always on the left side of the street on a kerb stone or on a lamp post (it is amazing how difficult it is to follow a trail where the first mark is on the pavement on the left side of the road, the next is on a pipeline on the right side and the next on the door of an abandoned truck!).
6. Try to avoid markings in the middle of the road/track (traffic usually rubs them out before the hash has even started).
7. Although it is not always possible, try to link in the runners with the walkers, so that they meet up at a certain point(s) of the trail. You will then use a walkers/runners �split� sign to indicate where their trails separate again.
8. Unless the trail is on a long straight road/track with no alternative directions, try to put a marking down every 25 metres or so.
9. Whenever you come to a place where a hasher has a choice of direction, always put the marking showing the correct way in advance i.e. not hidden around the corner where anyone trying the other direction will not see it.
10. The hash is not a race. Checks are therefore needed regularly (at least every � to 1 km) mainly to try to keep everyone as together as possible, but also to give hashers the chance for a little �breathing space�.
11. Set checks at locations where there is a multiple choice of directions. Try to set at least 3 trails at each check � 2 false and 1 correct.
12. Always try to mark each false trail with 2 markings and then an X (so that, if there are only a few hashers taking part, those looking for the trail know when it is the wrong one and can then return to the check before getting left too far behind the others who may have found the correct trail and followed it without shouting �on back�).
13. Although perhaps contrary to 8 above, you may wish to �space out� the markings after checks on both the false, and correct, trails so that it takes more time for the those up front to find the correct trail and thus more time for other hasher to catch up (then resume markings every 25 metres or so).
14. On the correct trail, it is always �nice� to put a 4th and perhaps a 5th marking down in quick succession to confirm to the hasher who believes that he/she has found the right trail, that he/she actually has!
15. Try to avoid places with crowds e.g. metro stations, market places etc, as a) it is very difficult to see the trail with so many people around b) the trail itself will be more quickly rubbed out by passing traffic than would otherwise be the case and c) the crowds themselves must get pretty peed off having a bunch of hashers invade their space!
16. Try to avoid crossings over major roads. This is clearly not always possible, but we don�t really want to lose any hashers (runners or walkers).
17. Do not encourage short cutters, for example by marking the trail down one side of a road and then back along the other side, thus �tempting� those hashers bringing up the rear to simply cross the road!

Finally, remember that your efforts will always be greatly appreciated and, although you will always be called in to the Circle for some reason or other, you will know never to take it personally!


ON-ON!