Portlanders, on the whole, aren't an easily frightened people.

I think it has something to do with the eclectic, artistic and atypical population that converges here.

Por ejemplo: The ribbon and fire-twirling folks who sometimes hang out in Post Office Park during the summers. Or the gentlemen who'll create you a larger-than-life scorpion from a roll of tin foil in less than 20 minutes. Or the guy I spot regularly around town speaking loudly to himself in a fake British accent.

We're lucky to have them - those unique locals who keep Portland innerestin'.

One might even say it's a motley sort of crew. (Stay with me. I'm going somewhere with this.)

So when a group of big haired, tightly panted, makeup-wearing 80s rockers are seen running through town for no apparent reason whatsoever, most people aren't all that shocked.

For as the saying goes: Life is like the streets of Portland. You never know what you're going to see.

Of course there was the woman leaving the PMA who wondered aloud, "It's a little early in the day, isn't it?"

And the eight year old who clutched onto her parent's side and asked, "Mommy, what are they doing?"

And the two guys who whipped out their camera phones with the speed of kung fu fighters.

But on the whole, Saturday's Motley Crue Hash Run with the Portland Hash House Harriers was just another day in wonderful, strange Portland.


The run started at Matthew's on Free Street and quickly took a turn toward the West End and then down near the water under the Casco Bay Bridge.

Looking good, guys. Nice belly tattoos. And nice bejeweled groin.

If you're already looking ridiculous - on an afternoon run in 80s regalia - might as well take it all the way with an a capella rendition of "Girls, Girls, Girls."

The folks at Matthew's were altogether welcoming. So much so that a couple of hashers returned to the bar a day later with a blown up group photo.

The photo, I'm told, has been mounted in a place of honor on the wall next to the television.

A lucky runner left the hash with a pair of tickets to Wednesday's Motley Crue show. A well-earned prize for the wig-wearing effort.

More Motley Crue Hash photos

More on Portland's Hash House Harriers