Running With The Bulls In Pamplona

Ever since Hemingway wrote about the running of the bulls in The Sun Also Rises, tens of thousands of people from around the world flock to Pamplona, Spain for the festival of San Fermin. Starting at noon on July 6th of every year, this festival is, among other things, in honor of Saint Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona. But I’d bet that 99% of the visitors don’t know that and they don’t care. They’re here for the bulls. More specifically, they’re here to run with the bulls.

The most well-known part of the festival is the encierro, or the running of the bulls. Starting on July 7th, the run is held every morning at 8:00 AM. 6 bulls are released into the streets of Pamplona, hell-bent on running over anyone in their way as they run from the starting pen to the Plaza Del Toros 850 meters away. These aren’t your average bulls, either. These are the bulls specifically bred for size, speed, and aggression, since they will be part of the bullfight later that day. So while you may have spent time on your uncle’s cattle farm as a kid or passed a dairy farm on your way to a winery, those bulls are nothing like what you’ve seen. There is a bottle rocket fired when the first bull starts the race and another when the last one enters the arena. The average time between the two is 2 and a half minutes, which means that the bulls are running the streets at roughly 12 miles per hour, and that includes slowing down for the turns. On the straightaways, they’re much faster. If you planned to run next to them for any more than a few seconds, then you must be Usain Bolt, and I welcome you to my blog.

In addition to the 6 bulls, there are also 6 steer that run with the bulls. The steer, while only a little smaller than the bulls, are much more docile, and know the course to run. They serve to help keep the bulls moving in the right direction and to keep them herded together. If a bull gets separated from the herd, it will panic and can become very dangerous. The steer help to minimize that possibility. You can tell which are the steer, since they’re ambling more than racing. I think the last steer in the group when I raced was a good 30 seconds behind the bulls, just trotting down the street, minding his own business.

The starting pen is near the Department of Education on Calle de Santo Domingo. The bulls run southeast (leg 1), turn left onto Calle Mercaderes (leg 2), and then turn right onto Calle Estefeda (leg 3) which directs them into the Plaza Del Toros (marker 4). All side streets are blocked off by 7:00 AM, so you need to be in place by then.

When you get to the streets, stand near the starting pen on Calle de Santo Domingo. This may not be where you want to do your run from, but it’s where you want to be when you get there. Around 7:30 AM (if I remember correctly), the police take everyone on Calle Mercaderes and Calle Estefeda and kick them off the course. After that, the people on Calle de Santo Domingo are allowed to spread out throughout the length of the course to start wherever they want. If they didn’t do that, there would be too many people lined up to actually participate safely.

If you position yourself near the north end of Calle Estefeda, you can see the bulls slow down for the turn, so they’ll be moving slower. That gives you more time to anticipate their approach and you get to run with them a little longer. On the other hand, if you want to run into the arena with them, find a starting position near the end of the course. Once the last bull enters the arena, the route is barricaded quickly to prevent the bulls from doubling back, which means that runners can’t enter. However, by starting towards the end of Estefeda street, you can run into the arena and you’ll have plenty of space to move, but remember that the bulls will have more space to move as well. Most of the time, they go straight to the corral at the far end of the arena, but sometimes one gets a little antsy and runs around for a while. If that happens, run for the stands to get out of his way.

A few things that should not need to be said, but apparently need to, since people screw this up every year:
1- Don’t be drunk. At least, don’t be obviously drunk. You’re a danger to yourself and to others, and the police will remove you from the course if they think you’re under the influence.
2- No cameras. One of the greatest photo opportinities would be to take a selfie with a bull charging behind you, but the police will remove you from the course if they see a camera. This includes chest- or head-mounted GoPro cameras. They don’t want anything that could potentially distract you from the race. In 2014, a guy took a selfie while running with the bulls, and the police looked for him and hit him with a 3,000€ fine (although I’m not sure if they actually ever found the guy)
3- Wear the official uniform. White shirt and pants, red scarf around your waist and a red bandana. You can get the whole kit in Pamplona for about 40€ at any one of a dozen stores. It’s traditional.
4- Don’t touch the bulls. It may seem like a thrill to touch or smack a bull as it runs past, but do you really want to take its attention off of running with the herd and have it turn its focus on you?

There are a total of 4 rockets that are set off during the run:
1- The starting pen is open and the first bull has left. The race has begun.
2- The last bull has left the pen. Depending on how close this is to the first rocket, that will help you get a feel for how tightly the herd is running. A tight herd is safer than one that’s spread out.
3- All of the bulls have entered the arena. The entrance to the arena will be closed, so you don’t need to keep running if you’re out on the street.
4- The bulls are secured in their corral in the arena and the event is over

Unless you’re right near the starting line, the first two rockets are not terribly important. Relax and try not to fidget. Easier said than done, since your adrenaline will be pumping and you’ll be questioning your life choices. When you see the people behind you start to move, it’s probably still a little early, but you won’t have much choice as the crowd rushes towards you. If you panic, get scared, or the bulls get too close for comfort, duck into the nearest doorway. The bulls will (generally) keep running down the street and leave you alone.

People will trip and fall. As a human, your tendency may be to stop to help them up. Don’t do it; you’ll get run over by the mob behind you and you’ll end up on the ground as well. If you see someone fall, try not to step on them as you keep running. If you hit the ground, tuck into a ball and cover your head and neck. Don’t try to get up until the crowd and bulls have passed (you’ll know because the thundering will have stopped and you’ll be wondering if you’ve wet yourself).

The encierro is over before you know it, with a hard 30 second sprint and a little jogging as the bulls run out of sight. Within minutes after the fourth rocket is fired, the barricades are removed and the streets are full of people again, drinking and reveling, walking from bar to bar (yes, at 8:15 AM), hanging out and socializing with anyone in sight. You’ll make friends, you’ll get sangria spilled on you, you’ll hear more drunken rowdiness than at St Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve combined. It’s a beautiful day in July, so kick back with a bottle of sangria and have fun.

After all, you just survived the bull run.