Why we wear red dresses…
If you’ve never heard the history of RDR before… have you been living under a rock? (We kid.)
Like all good stories in hashing, Red Dress Run started with someone ignoring instructions.
In 1987 a woman named Donna Rhinehart was taken to the hash in Long Beach, California, where she was told to wait in the truck while her host ran.
Obviously, she didn’t. (Who would, am I right?) Instead, she said “fuck that!” And joined the hash wearing a red dress.
🍻 The First Red Dress Run
The following year, the San Diego Hash House Harriers invited her back, but this time on purpose.
They flew her in and hosted the very first official Red Dress Run.
Hundreds of hashers showed up… all wearing red dresses.
It got attention. It got weird (duh, it’s the hash). And it got big, fast.
During the event, Donna, now known as “The Lady in Red”, suggested that these runs could be used to raise money for local charities.
And just like that, it became something bigger than just a ridiculous outfit choice.
39 years later, and the tradition she started is still going strong.
From there, the tradition spread everywhere. Beijing, Montreal, Helsinki, Tokyo, New Orleans, Australia…. literally everywhere.
But Donna was from right here in Arizona, and bringing this event back is so right.
Today, the Red Dress Run is part of hash history.
It’s about:
Community
Charity
Not taking yourself too seriously
And yes… making questionable choices in public while wearing red.
Donna passed away in 2013, just as the Hash House Harriers were celebrating 25 years of Red Dress Runs, but hashers all over the world continue to honor her memory & make a difference to many charities.