Mischief & Mayhem: Joint Run Report

Run No: 2480

Run No: 2480

At: : Observatory Hill

On Inn: Captian Cook Hotel

Hare: Fetchit

RUN REPORT by Fetchit

Joint Run Report – Larrikins, Harriettes & Sydney Hash House Harriers

Tuesday, 27 January – Observatory Hill

(The day after Australia Day, when everyone pretends they’re fine.)

Sydney’s Observatory Hill was looking serene and respectable… right up until the combined forces of the Larrikins, Harriettes and Sydney Hash House Harriers arrived and claimed the Rotunda like it was a long‑lost embassy. Tourists on walking tours stared in confusion, possibly wondering whether they’d stumbled into a cultural festival, a fitness cult, or a very poorly organised flash mob. Either way, we made an impression.

The Trails (Choose Your Own Adventure Edition)

Three options were available, depending on enthusiasm, fitness, and how much Australia Day was still lingering in the bloodstream:

• Short Walk – 3.5 km of scenic ambling and early access to the bucket
• Long Walk – 4.5 km for those pretending they’re training for something
• Runners’ Trail – 6+ km for the poor sods who didn’t make excuses fast enough

All groups headed out together, floating above Circular Quay like a flock of confused pigeons. The Short Walkers peeled off and up Phillip Street, no doubt congratulating themselves on their excellent life choices as they cruised back to the Rotunda.

The Long Walkers enjoyed a cultured lap through the Botanical Gardens before looping back via the Domain and Hunter Street, where they rejoined the main trail and pretended they hadn’t stopped to admire flowers.

The runners, bless them, were sent on a magical mystery tour through Cook and Phillip Park, St Mary’s forecourt, and Hyde Park. They eventually found their way back, looking sweaty, heroic, and slightly betrayed.

Bucket, Banter & Bullshit

Back at the bucket, the refreshments were flowing and the chatter was lively. Once the final runner – Tic Tok – finally arrived, he decided to reward us with a joke. I didn’t hear a single word of it, but judging by the laughter, it was either genuinely funny or everyone was just relieved he’d made it back alive.

Roughly half the pack then migrated to the Captain Cook on Kent Street for food, drinks, and the kind of socialising that always starts politely and ends with someone saying, “Is it really that late?”

Special Thanks (and Well‑Deserved Bragging)

Huge thanks to Frankly Fiona, who helped me lay the trail. And let’s be honest—it was PERFECT. Her impeccable arrows, keen directional instincts, and general brilliance ensured the pack had a cracking run. If anyone disagrees, they’re wrong.

Final Word

All in all, a fantastic run – even if I say so myself. And I do.

On On

Fetchit