Rumson 10 Mile / 10 Bar Hashrun

 

On Saturday June 24, 2017 I travelled to the Jersey Shore to link up with the Rumson Hash House Harriers for their annual 10 Mile /10 Bar Hashrun. I met some friends at the Belmar train station about 9am so we could ride the train north to the starting point in Long Branch. About 30 runners and bikers meandered around the train station waiting for some kind of guidance. We paid our hash-cash to the Rumson Mismanagement to cover all the cheap beer along the route along with food at 2 locations. Finally a list of destinations was handed out and off we went.

Our first beer stop turned out to be Brother Mike’s house rather than a bar but nobody seemed to care since he had plenty of crappy beer and snacks for everyone. We hung out there for about 30 minutes, singing stupid hash songs and telling even worse jokes. The 5 minute warning horn was sounded letting us know it was time to finish up. About 20 minutes later we were off to stop number 2. Hashers are not very concerned with keeping to a schedule when there is still beer to be drank.

Stop number 2, The Celtic Cottage, was only a few blocks away. While most of the hashers consumed the pre-arranged low-end hash beer such as Miller Lite and Bud Light, I enjoyed a couple a Guinnesses…because I could. I loved this tiny bar, not just because it had Guinness…well alright mainly because they had Guinness. No, actually I have yet to find an Irish Pub that I don’t like. They are always a good time! If you are ever in Long Branch, NJ check them out. They are located at 608 2^nd Avenue.

 

Our next stop was in a small section of woods just south of the Elberton Train Station. The ice cold beer arrived there just before we did. The shade of the trees was a welcome relief from the day’s heat which was nearing 90 degree already. This would be the last break from the sun except for time spent inside the upcoming bars.

Someone blew the hash-horn and off we went again. Next stop was at The Bar Room & Kitchen located at 100 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ. The staff saw us coming down the road and were waiting for us at the door with pitchers of beer already poured and a ton of salty popcorn. We had a great time meeting some of the locals there that seemed very entertained with our hash names and raunchy jokes.

Our next stop was at McGillicuddy’s Lakeside Taphouse located at 601 Main Street, Loch Arbor, NJ. It’s a combination American/Irish/Sports bar along with an outdoor Tiki bar. Although the air conditioning inside was very tempting, we chose to hang out on the Tiki Bar deck under the umbrellas. We stayed there for almost an hour before heading out toward Asbury Park.

Stop number 6 couldn’t come quick enough as the sun just kept getting hotter. It reminded me of being in Kingston, Jamaica in the summer…Hell Hot! The Asbury Park Brewery is located at 810 Seawall Ave, Asbury Park, NJ behind one of my favorite music venues The Saint. The Brewery’s line up included an IPA, an Extra Pale Ale, a Blonde European style lager, and my favorite an Irish Roasted Stout.

 

 Luckily stop number 7 was just a couple blocks away. Johnny Mac House of Spirits, located at 208 Main Street in Asbury Park, is an amazing bar. Their eclectic collection of memorabilia is a must see. Words cannot describe it. I absolutely loved this place. And the best part about it is they offer free pizza all day with the purchase of a beer! That’s right, buy a beer (at normal prices) and get a free pizza made on site in the basement! I can’t believe I never went there before.

 

  The next stop was Clancy’s Tavern located at 25 South Main St, Neptune City. This was one of the bars I used to frequent when I lived down the shore. The service is always great, the food is always great and they always have plenty of Guinness. What more could you ask for in a bar besides maybe “Free Pizza.” Johnny Mac has spoiled me.

After leaving Clancy’s we made our way south to Via Mare Italian Restaurant and Bar located at 1217 Main Street, Bradley Beach. This place was way too classy for the likes of our sweaty, stinky asses but they served us with smiles just the same. We stayed for about an hour before finally heading south to our final destination, Bar Anticipation in Belmar.

This last leg was brutally hot. Bar Anticipation is located at 703 16^th Ave, Belmar (Lake Como). Bar-A is a huge, multi-level establishment with numerous bars inside and out. They have an outdoor Tiki Bar, private cabanas, man-made beach area including Olympic size sand volleyball courts and numerous food grills. This is one of the most popular hangouts in the area both day and night all year round. We received free entry and free food; our drinks were on us. The 15 or so of us that completed the entire Hashrun hung out for the rest of the afternoon. This was a long day but a ton of fun! For a group known as the “Hell’s Angels of Hashing”, the Rumson Hash House Harriers put on a top notch event. If you ever find yourself down the Jersey Shore check these establishments out, especially Johnny Mac. Remember, “Free Pizza all day, every day!”