Residents of Whissendine may have noticed unusual chalk markings on roads and pavements over the Christmas break. Please do not be alarmed, these were simply route markers for a local running group. Several residents contacted the police concerned their properties were being targeted by burglars but this was not the case. The running group emailed their intentions to the village website on 24 December, two days before the 26 December run. Regretfully, as the village website admin, I was taking a couple of days’ break from the village website and I neglected to upload the post. I apologise for the oversight.

The original email received on 24 Dec:
“I belong to the Rutland Hash House Harriers, a local running group who, on Monday 26 December, plan to undertake a small and informal cross-country run around the village of Whissendine. There will only be about 20 people involved. Please note that the route will be marked using small blobs of flour and small chalk marks on the ground. These marks have raised some interest and concern in the past, particularly with dog-walkers and with homeowners who sometimes see them near their properties. They are harmless, largely meaningless, and disappear with time or with any rainfall.
I’m responsible for the run that day so I thought it was worth letting you know in case people become concerned in any way. We plan to start (with the agreement of the landlord) at the car park of the White Lion PH at 1100 and we’ll be complete at the same place by 1230. I plan to let the residents of the village know using whatever means I can. If you wish, please drop by to see who we are and what we’re about. We want to avoid any misunderstanding and it’s always nice to keep the local police officers onside and informed.
I’d like to emphasize the small marks I’ll use to mark the route. No-one should be concerned about them; they are just there to show the runners which way to go since only I will know the route. They will disappear quickly and with any rainfall. I wanted to let you know in case anybody needed to be informed or reassured afterwards.”

Follow-up email from the Whissendine Neighbourhood Watch following enquiries by concerned residents:
There have been various reports of chalk markings on properties in the village as possible burglary targets, it would seem on this occasion it may have been a ‘hoax’. The police have been informed of these marks and an incident number logged. Communications via social media indicate that it was Rutland HHH who have apologised for the marking of a route.
Please let your friends and neighbours aware of this. it does however serve as a reminder to us all to be extra cautious and if we are away from our homes during non daylight hours to leave a light on, if safe to do so, to show the building is occupied.

Information about the Hash House Harriers (taken from their website):
Hashing is fun-running based on a “hare and hounds” trail which caters for all abilities. The hare sets a trail in chalk and flour, including false trails, loops and checkpoints, which help to slow the front runners down while they look for the next bit of trail, thus allowing the slower runners to catch up. The distance is usually about 4 to 5 miles, lasting an hour to 90 minutes. We run in woods, parks, towns, villages and around fields. We’ll typically meet in a car park or convenient layby, but occasionally in a nice warm pub. The run is always followed by beer drinking and bad singing. We will be easy to spot – a mixture of people of wildly varying fitness all dressed in running gear, addressing each other by odd nicknames. Just turn up and ask for one of the committee members, and we’ll look after you.

If you would like to join the Rutland Hash House Harriers, please see their website for contact details.