Running With The Bulls In
The Ultimate Guide
This page is for the guys
and girls that are thinking of running with the bulls it contains information
about the bull run and some cracking video footage
from last year’s bullruns. Make sure you study the
videos so that you get an idea about how crowded it can get and how fast the
bulls are. In addition read the aricles because it
will help give you a feel about what running with the bulls is all about. I
intend this page to be “The Ultimate Guide To The Bullrun” if it comes even a little close and helps people
stay out of harm’s way than I will be a happy bunny. So let’s start with one of
the runs from 2008, the first run on the 7th July. It is always a
busy day as crowds of virgin runners hit the streets for the first run of the
fiesta most of them knowing fuck all about how, why or where the bulls are
coming from. So if you are going to run on the 7th with out watching
a bullrun from a balcony first, you will be taking a
bit of a risk, but you heard it here first! What you should do is to watch the
video a couple of times and watch how the drama unfolds. In general a bullrun lasts about 2mins 30 seconds, if everything goes
smoothly. This run lasts about 4 min 50 seconds. The reason is that half way
down Mercaderes two of the bulls get entangled with a
crowd of people pressing against the left hand side of the street and they go
down. This separates them from the rest of the herd and this is when it gets
dangerous. This means that for the runners further on in the course there will
be two groups of bulls to worry about, the first 4 bulls running with the
steers and the last two who are not taking prisoners. In these situations the
bullring is also a very dangerous place.
The next day was a Tuesday
so you still did not get a weekend crowd but you will have had all the runners
who were too late for the run on the 7th. Those
that had been cleared off by the police for being in the wrong place at the
wrong time and all those who had watched the first day. So it will still
be crowded. The thing to watch out for in this run is that one of the bulls is
a strange colour that they call soap. Unfortunately it looks very similar to
the colour of the steers. The group sticks together for most of the first half
of the course but as the run gets to the end of Estafeta
they are a bit strung out. However the bullrun lasts
just over 2 and a half minutes. You see if you look
closely one of the runners has a narrow escape just before the tunnel in Telephonica, where a bull a bit loose from the pack gets
it’s horn entangled with the guy’s shirt. He was a very lucky guy that it was
not a lot worse. The video below is from the 8th don’t let the title
fool you.
This next video is from the
9th July 2008 a Wednesday so it is midweek and the number of runners
will have fallen. Less runners means more space to run
and so the run should be quicker and safer. In fact this run took about 4.00
minutes. The bulls kept in a reasonably tight pack all the way up
To
get back to the story of the run on the 9th.
The bull turns at the top of Estaftea and it is a
firm rule for myself that if a bull turns and it is
possible and safe to do so then get out of the street. Do not attempt this if
you are close to the bull and your movement attracts his attention. But if you
have the chance and a bull has turned anywhere close by then get over or under
the nearest barrier. Don’t stop to think just do it. If you are stuck in the street
and the bull has turned then make like a statue. His eyesight is shit poor and
it is movement that he will go for. Watch out for the guys in green shirts with
the big sticks they will lash out if you are getting too close. They have an
important job to do and to keep the crowd back and ensure the bull will go the
right way. In this run one of them nearly gets taken out by the bull and the
other jump in to save him. At this point you see one of the runners pulling the
bulls tail, this is only allowed in such circumstances to save somebody if you
try it at any other time you will get beaten up and arrested.
When the bull has turned you
can see all the expert runners, the ‘divinos’ trying
to entice the bulls down into the bullring. If you focus on the bald guy in the
centre, that is
The following article tells
it all and if anything belongs in the Ultimate Guide to the Bullrun
then this does!
The ABC’ s
of Running with the Bulls in
By Jack Barrett
(An Article form the No Bullshit
This
article is not intended to be all inclusive, but is based on fourteen years of
experience running with the bulls, as well as tips and advice from some great
runners of all nationalities. As a good
reference, I would recommend the excellent book by Jim Hollander, “Run To The Sun”.
It is available at amazon.com, or at most book stores in
A) THE BASICS
The Running of the Bulls is part of the Fiesta San Fermin,
which takes place on the 6th to the 14th of July. The Spanish name for the Running of the Bulls
is el encierro, (enclosure). There is an encierro on each
day, from the 7th to the 14th. It begins promptly at 8:00am. In order to run, you must be on the course no
later than 7:00am., and even earlier on weekends when
it is very crowded. There are some do’s and don’ts. The
most important do is if you fall down, cover your head and stay down
until someone tells you it is safe to get up.
In 1995, a young American failed to follow this instruction, and paid
the ultimate price. Among the don’ts are
bringing backpacks, cameras, purses, and anything else that could cause a
problem for you or other runners. Do not touch the bulls, or run directly
behind them, doing this could cause them to turn around. Do not run if you are
not fit, or are under the influence. If
this is your first time, it would be better if you “stood” the bulls, standing
on the side of the course to get a feel for how fast the animals can run. There is no safe place on the course,
just places that are less dangerous than others.
What
to wear? The standard outfit for San Fermin is
a white shirt and pants, with a red scarf (pañuelo), and a red sash (faja). For the run,
however, I would recommend leaving the pañuelo, faja, belt, or
anything else that some one or some thing could get hold of, at home. A sleeveless shirt would work as well. In Jim’s book there is a wonderful picture of
a runner being carried up the street on the horns of a bull by his faja, head
bouncing off the cobblestones with each stride.
If you feel you must wear the pañuelo and faja, at least tie them with a slip knot that will come
loose if caught. A very good pair of
running shoes, tightly tied is also a must.
B) THE COURSE.
The course is about 850 meters long, and is mostly uphill.
(For the metrically challenged, a meter is a little longer than a yard). There are two hard turns, one to the left,
and one to the right. As an indication as to how fast the animals
can run, the current Olympic record
on a flat track for 800 meters is 1 minute, 42.6 seconds. The bulls have run the 850 meters on
cobblestone streets, uphill, in under 2 minutes. The course is divided into six areas,
C) THE PLAYERS
Bulls (Toros)
There are six bulls that will be released in the encierro. They are at least four years old, and range
in color from black, the most common, to black and
white, grey, and some times red. They range in weight from about 500 kilos,
(1100 lbs) to over 600 kilos, (1300 lbs).
A picture of the bulls in the days run can be found in
the morning papers. It is a good
idea to familiarize your self with them before the run. The bulls get to run the course only once,
as they will be fought and killed in the bull fight (corrida) in the evening.
Steers (Cabestros)
Six to eight steers are released with the bulls to give a
semblance of a herd, and to guide the bulls over the course. The bulls have no clue what is going on, but
it seems like fun. The steers are larger
than the bulls, and usually have a bell around their neck. They are mostly cream colored
with black or dark brown spots. The
steers will not normally try to gore you, but they will run you over if you are
in their way. About two or three minutes
after the first animals are released, another four steers are released to sweep
up any bull(s) that have become separated from the herd. If you are walking up or down the street
after the bulls have passed, be aware that the sweeps are coming. If you are still not sure about the
difference between a bull and a steer, I would refer you to a Webster’s
Dictionary for a more complete description.
Vaquitas
These are young cows, females that are released into the
bull ring after the bulls are safely in their corrals. More about them later.
Pastores
Pastores
are teams of two or three men whose job it is to keep the bulls running in the
direction of the Plaza de Toros. They have
lately been wearing green tee shirts with the word “PASTORE” on the back. They carry 5 ft. long sticks which they will
not hesitate to use on you if they think you are doing something that would
cause a bull to turn around, like touching it, for instance. The pastores play a
critical role when a bull gets separated from the herd. This is known as a suelto. If a suelto should occur near you, do
not try to be a hero or a clown, let the pastores handle the situation,
which is what they are being paid to do.
Police
The police are there to control the crowd, and to remove
from the course anyone who has no business being there, such as drunks,
backpackers, etc. They form a line at
the bottom of
Red Cross (Voluntarios de Cruz Roja)
These are men and women who are trained in giving basic
first aid to runners who are injured during the encierro. They are stationed at
various locations on the course, usually where there is room to form a double
barricade. If you have time before the
run, it is a good idea to locate the one nearest your position; you may have to
help bring an injured runner to them.
Dobladores
The dobladores
are men with good bullfighting knowledge (sometimes ex-bullfighters) who take
up position in the bullring with capes to help the runners ‘fan out’ (in other
words, run to the sides after they enter the bullring), and ‘drag’ the bulls
towards the corral as quickly as
possible. Do nothing to impede their
work. In 2007, one fool carrying a large camera bag collided with a dobladore right
in front of a bull, almost getting both of them killed. He was fined 6,000 euros
for that stunt.
D) THE RUN
As mentioned above, the run begins at 8:00am, with the
firing of two rockets. The first rocket
goes off when the gates to the corral
are opened, and the second goes off when the last bull leaves the corral.
If there is a long period between the rockets, say 30 seconds or more,
it probably means that a bull was late getting out of the corral, and may have become separated from the herd. If this occurs, discretion being the better
part of valor, if you can safely get off the course
without interfering with the police or Red Cross, now would be a good time to
do it. The run ends at the Plaza de Toros
with the firing of another two rockets.
The first rocket goes off when the first bulls enter the ring, and the
second when all of the bulls are safely in the corral. Even if the bulls
have passed you, listen for the second rocket before you start wondering around
on the street, you may get an unpleasant surprise. In the famous words of Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over”.
(Note: all reference directions except the suicide run are
in the direction of the Plaza de Toros.)
Of all the places on the course,
The Suicide Run
In earlier, less crowded years, the runners at the bottom
of Santo Domingo would run down
toward the bulls coming up from the corral, turn and run up the street in front of the
bulls, then dive for cover. Lately the
police have been discouraging this, telling you that you must either run down
or run up, but not both. I suppose this
is to prevent a collision of runners.
Unless you are directly behind the line of police, I would recommend you
discuss with the runners in front and behind you, which way they are going to
run. On weekends when it is very
crowded, the police will form a line just above the corral, then move the runners back up hill until you are about even
with where the wall of the hospital meets the wooden barricade on the right
looking down toward the corral. If you want to run down, you should try to
get just behind the line of police. The
city does a fairly good job of cleaning the streets, but if you are going to
run down, you might want to check under the barricades on the right and left
for broken glass, you may have to go under one of them. At 5 minutes before the first rocket, the
runners sing a prayer to San Fermin to protect them.
They sing again at 2 minutes, and 1 minute before the rocket. Sometimes there is a disconnect between the
watch of the person leading the singing and the guy lighting the rocket, and
the bulls have come out while we have our backs to them singing the prayer. If this happens, stop singing! When the rocket goes off, and the bulls come
out, the police will try to maintain the line until the bulls are at least half
way up the street. As you can imagine,
panic breaks out, and the police are shoved out of the way. They then disappear into openings in the
barricades on both the left and right sides.
If you run down, run as close to the herd as you dare, than leap
sideways against the barricades. If
things really unravel, there is no shame in going under or over the barricades.
As mentioned above, this is no place for beginners or
sensitive hearts. Excluding the Suicide,
the run begins at the bottom of
Ayuntamiento (aka City Hall or Plaza Consistorial)
This run starts at the top of
Mercaderes
This run starts as the herd makes a left turn onto Mercaderes, and ends after the herd has made the
hard right turn at La Curva. The first problem here is that you are
running right into the sun, thus the title of Jim’s book. I don’t know what effect it has on the
animals, but it will definitely have an effect on you. You are suddenly blinded, and slightly
disoriented. This is also a place where
a suelto may occur, as the bulls negotiate the
hard left turn. There are walls and
doorways on the left, and a barricade on the right. The bulls are only slightly slower here, so
your run will be a quick one. At the end
of the street is La Curva,
a wall which forces the herd to make a sharp right hand turn. You do not want to be standing in front of
this wall. Lately, most of the bulls
have made it around the curve without falling, but when they do, even some
photographers on top of the wall have been hurt. If you are standing there, and a bull falls,
you are toast. Some runners wait on the
left side of the street just at the start of the curve, hoping to find a space in
between the six bulls to jump into.
They will start to run as soon as they see the herd make the turn onto Mercaderes, and
hope for the best.
Estafeta
Estafeta
is a long street, about 300 meters, uphill.
There are boarded up store fronts and doorways along both the right and
left side. Some years ago, the sidewalks
were removed with good and not so good results.
Runners on the lower half of Estafeta are
usually waiting for an opportunity to get into the herd after they slow down
for La Curva. The herd usually, but not
always hugs the left side of the street, so if you are standing on that side,
be prepared to have the horns come very close to your gut. As you get almost to the top of Estafeta, you
will see the really great runners, David
and Julen
to name two, sort of come out of the wood work, and magically appear right on
the horns of the lead bull. By the time
the bulls get up here, they are usually moving at a speed by which a very good
runner can stay in front of the horns all the way into the Plaza de Toros. If you waiting to run on the upper half of Estafeta, unless
you are seven feet tall, you will not be able to see the bulls until they are
almost on top of you. You can listen for
the bells on the steers, but the steers might not be leading the herd. One tip I’ve learned is to watch the people
on the balconies taking pictures. They
are most likely taking pictures of the lead bull, so by watching the angle of
their cameras, you can get a good idea where it is at. Don’t feel bad if you do not get out with the
herd. This takes a lot of skill, and a
little luck.
Telefonica and the Callejon
At the top of Estafeta, the course widens out, and is flanked by
barricades on both sides of the street.
This is the area called Telefonica. If you are planning to run into the Plaza de Toros
with the bulls, this is the place to start from. The bulls are probably moving as slow as they
are ever going to go, although this is still very fast. There are however, great opportunities for a suelto up here,
and when you read the statistics from the previous run, Telefonica usually wins the prize for the most number of runners patched up
by the Red Cross, or taken to the hospital. The run starts at the very top of Estafeta, and
continues through the very narrow tunnel, (3.6 meters wide), under the bull
ring called the Callejon.
The Callejon is where most of the trouble starts as
you try to get 6 bulls, 8 steers and about 100 runners through a very narrow
passage into the Plaza de Toros. If you
look at some photos of runs in the past, you will see some epic pileups called
a Monton, in the Callejon. You do not want to be part
of these. The run through the Callejon is
slightly down hill, and at the entrance to the Plaza de Toros you transition from
concrete to sand. This contributes to
runners falling and creating a Monton right at the entrance to the Plaza de Toros. Be aware of this.
Plaza
de Toros
Once
you enter the Plaza de Toros, the run is over and it is time to get out. You will meet the dobladores who are trying to lure
the bulls into the corral by dragging
their capes over the ground in front of the bulls. Do nothing that would interfere with them,
you are not a torero, so don’t try to
be one. Turn right or left and get
behind the barriers as fast as you can.
After the bulls are safely in their corrals,
the officials release two or three vaquitas into the ring.
They are young females, and are absolutely adorable with big brown
eyes. They do, however, weight about as
much as a NFL defensive tackle, and can run twice as fast. They are also very efficient in using their
horns. In 2005 a young American was hit by one, and is just now learning how to
walk again. I recommend leaving them
alone. But, if you feel you would enjoy
being clocked by a NFL tackle running at top speed, by all means go out and
play with the vaquitas. Otherwise, get out of the Plaza and head for the Bar Txoko for
the “Breakfast of Champions”, (Kaiku Vanil con cognac). Suerte!
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