During the Running of the Bulls fiesta in Pamplona, Spain, also known as the Fiesta de San Fermin, the bull runs begin at 8am, sharp, on July 7th through, and including, July 14th.
The bull runs start at the corrals at the foot of Calle de Santo Domingo and end at the bullring, also known as the Plaza de Toros. The total length of the bull run is 825-875 meters, with the distance varying depending on how the streets are measured. There are always 6 wild bulls and there are typically 6 steers, including two "clean up steers" that run behind the bulls in case any bull gets separated from the rest of its herd during the run. The steers are there to help guide the bulls along the route to the Plaza de Toros.
To join in the run, you won't need tickets or any kind of registration. All you need to do is be in the Town Hall square (Plaza Consistorial) by 7:05am. Line up sober, wearing clean white pants and a white shirt, and have your ID on you in case the police check your age: please note that you must be 18 or older to run. Carry as little as possible on you that morning, and know that cameras and bags are not allowed on the run. However, some runners like to carry a rolled up newspaper with them, to help them judge the distance between themselves and the bulls, to use as a possible distraction device in case of danger, and to use as a sort of stress ball replacement.
After lining up, you'll need to wait for the police to clear the streets along the rest of the bull run route. Anyone who is lined up in the wrong place, or who the police believe is not fit to run with the bulls, will be removed from the bull run route. This process should last around 30 minutes. You can use this extra time to mingle and get last-minute advice from experienced bullrunners, stretch, or pray to San Fermin.
Finally, around 7:45am, the crowd of runners will be allowed to leave the Town Hall square, and all runners will be free to find their own personal starting point along the bull run route, such as in a certain doorway or certain corner on Mercaderes or Estafeta streets. Most runners plan out their starting point in advance so that they can scope out the area - looking for any possible dangers such as changes in pavement or possible safe places to escape from a bull - before the morning of the run. Runners should note that they will likely be able to keep up with the bulls for only about 10-15 seconds or for a maximum of 50 meters.
Two more police lines will be set up on Estafeta Street to prevent crowds from getting too big in any one place along the route. These police lines will break a bit later - around 10 minutes and 5 minutes before the run. If you intend to run the final section of Estafeta, don't worry: You will be allowed to run that section; you just need to wait a bit longer before you can access that part of the Estafeta.
Finally, at 8:00am, a firework rocket will signal that the bulls have been released from their corrals, and then another rocket will signal that all of the bulls have actually exited the corrals and are on the street. The closer that these two rockets are in time, the safer the bull run will likely be. Likewise, the further apart that the first two rockets go off, the more dangerous the run is likely to be. This is because a longer time between rockets suggests that the bulls may have left the corrals at different times and are, therefore, more likely to be separated from each other, which in turn will make them more confused, angry, and aggressive.
As the bulls charge down the streets, runners hold their ground until around 5-10 seconds before the bulls arrive. Then, they start sprinting, either in front of the bulls or directly next to the bulls - depending on how daring they feel. The bravest and most experienced runners typically aim to run "on the horns," which means they aim to run between a bull's horns. This level of skill typically only comes with many years of experience of running with wild bulls.
While running, do not slap the bulls or try to pull on their tails. Run only in the direction that the bulls are running - never try to run towards the bulls. Stay mindful of the dangers beyond the bulls - one of the biggest causes of injury during the bull run is people tripping and falling on other runners while dodging the oncoming bulls.
The bull run will last only around 2-3 minutes on average. Once the bulls are safely corralled in their pens, the encierro will have officially ended. A rocket will sound to signal that all the bulls have been corralled, and the bull run is over!
However, there are still dangers for people who ran into the bull ring: after the bulls are corralled, the "vaquillas" - 6 smaller heifers with capped horns - will be released one-by-one into the arena for some lighthearted fun, flipping and dashing around the crowd of people who just survived running with the bulls. These "vaquillas" generally don't cause serious injuries, but they sometimes flip people or step on people in the wrong way, causing very serious spinal cord injuries.
If you find yourself in the arena with the vaquillas, do not touch them in any way. Also, do not taunt them, and do not crowd in a circle around them. All of these things are both abusive to the animal and create situations where people are more likely to get injured since the vaquilla will be scared. There will be six vaquillas total each morning, which will each run around for roughly 5-10 minutes before being guided back to their corrals by a large steer. This steer is a castrated bull that is not aggressive at all, and its sole purpose is to help the young vaquilla return to its corral.
Once the final vaquilla has returned to its corral, runners and spectators alike will be free to exit out of the main gates of the bull ring (through which the bulls and runners entered earlier that morning). Time for breakfast and maybe later a siesta!
Check out our guide for more information on preparing to run with the bulls.